Makati City Mayor Abby Binay praised on Wednesday, Dec. 27, the Makati City Council for approving the suspension of the collection of amusement taxes to boost tourism and support local artists in the city.

The suspension, which was requested by Binay herself, is known as City Ordinance No. 2023-269 modifying the Revised Makati Revenue Code that allows the city to collect taxes in the form of amusement fees for any theatrical, musical, or other performance and for the use of public entertainment areas.

In her letter to the council, she said the suspension of this tax is seen to encourage more investment in creative projects and provide more room for economic growth in the tourism sector. 

"By suspending amusement taxes, we are promoting economic sustainability and empowering the creative force within our city. I see a Makati that positively buzzes with creativity and innovation, a city that appreciates and fully supports the ingenuity of the Filipino artist," Binay said.

The mayor's call also echoes efforts from the national government where the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) recently launched project "Lungsod Lunsad: A Call for Creative Proposal towards Building Creative Cities" under the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act or Republic Act No. 11904. 

"Given this nationwide initiative and its promising potential for Makati City, I believe it is in our best interest to support and encourage this project. By suspending the amusement tax, we can foster the growth and sustainability of the creative industries within our city, thereby stimulating economic activity and attracting tourism," Binay explained.

Tourism efforts

Makati had previously cemented itself as one of the go-to destinations in Metro Manila for individuals who wish to see and experience its rich tourism, arts, and cultural heritage.

In May, the city government together with the Department of Tourism (DOT) launched the first-ever Hop On, Hop Off (HOHO) bus tours aimed at further promoting Makati's heritage sites, museums, and lifestyle centers.

The project, which takes inspiration from world-class hop-on hop-off buses in Abu Dhabi, Argentina, London, Madrid, New York, and Singapore, among others, will feature a dedicated website with all essential information, a reloadable EMV-capable card, a mobile app for booking tours, making cashless payments, GPS networked-bus arrival monitoring and video guides, as well as information on hotels, food and tourism merchants.

According to Binay, the DOT had chosen the city as the pilot site for the bus tour which is a tourism recovery program that promotes Metro Manila through a modern bus system and a mobile app. It offers seamless and contactless travel options, allowing tourists to explore strategic hubs easily.

In a 2022 tally, the DOT had recorded 5.3 million overnight tourists in Metro Manila with Makati City ranking third out of 17 LGUs with the highest number of overnight arrivals at 969,927 visitors.

DOT Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco explained that the bus tour's pilot launch in Makati marks an exciting time for the tourism industry, as the DOT aims to bring the project to other key destinations around the country.

"Post-pandemic trends of travel have continued to evolve. People search for experiences that go beyond adventure, fun, and they search for meaning. And that is why the (Philippines) Hop-On Hop-Off tours gives opportunities for our tourists not only to be reminded of the spirit of modernity and innovation that Makati has always been known for, but also to get to know the soul of your city that lies in your hidden gems, in your museums, in the many stops that are covered by this tour that will allow our tourists–domestic and international alike– to get to know the people of Makati, to get to know your rich history, culture, and heritage,“ Frasco said.

"This is an effort that we wish to replicate in all the other areas in Metro Manila [and the Philippines] and this is just the beginning. Under the administration of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr., he has prioritized tourism development and that means a whole-of-government approach towards the transformation of the tourism industry, focusing not only in the promotion of our country, which we are continuing to do vigorously around the world, but also more importantly, to give our country a fighting chance at standing shoulder to shoulder with our ASEAN neighbors, addressing the essential pillars of tourism–infrastructure, connectivity, digitalization, innovation, and all these other essential modes of development that will finally give the Philippines an opportunity to become the tourism powerhouse that it can be," she added.

The HOHO bus tour in Makati operates from Wednesday to Friday from 10 a.m.  to 6 p.m. and has eight stops: Glorietta 2, Washington SyCip Park, RCBC Plaza, Circuit Makati, Century City, Museo ng Makati, Rockwell Center, and Ayala Triangle.

To book tours, tourists only need to download the HOHO mobile application and sign up.

Aside from the HOHO tours, the local government unit (LGU), spearheaded by its Museum and Cultural Affairs Office, also led the creation of the Makati Poblacion Heritage District Master Redevelopment Plan, which will set the design of the 6.6-hectare area's streetscapes, parks and public spaces and define guidelines for future developments in the area to recognize and promote Makati's rich cultural heritage found mostly in the historic core of Poblacion.

The city government explained that the program aims to identify and document Makati's cultural assets and update and align its historical narrative. 

All the 33 barangays are actively involved with the University of Makati (UMak) College of Arts and Letters as its academic partner.

In November of last year, the city was awarded during the 1st Philippine Tourism Excellence Awards as one of the best cities in the Philippines that are pursuing sustainable tourism.

Makati City won in the local government category for its valuable contribution to sustainable urban tourism development.

Binay underscored the importance of having a strong and meaningful relationship among the local government, business owners, residents, and other stakeholders as they must also develop and enforce strong regulations that promote responsible behavior among tourists, and invest in infrastructure projects to improve the quality of life for residents, workers, and tourists.

In September, the city government launched its newest tourism-oriented service to the public that aims to increase the number of people visiting the city’s tourist spots.

According to the city government, MakaTurismo was created to attract the public and tourists to visit the city and establishments that have been designated as heritage sites.

Those who want to know more about Makati City’s tourist destinations may visit www.makaturismo.ph. The site also offers recommendations for accommodation, and free walking tours, Tuesday to Sunday, to the St. Alphonsus Mary de Liguori Church-Garden Way of the Cross, Central Business District, Poblacion Heritage Sites, Salcedo Community Market, and Legazpi Sunday Market.