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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Frasco taps private sector for restored ₱1-B tourism promotions budget

Frasco taps private sector for restored ₱1-B tourism promotions budget

Published Nov 26, 2025 12:12 pm

At A Glance

  • DOT Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco calls on the private sector to guide the ₱1-billion tourism promotions budget for 2026.
  • Domestic tourism projected to earn USD 70 billion in 2025, supporting nearly seven million jobs and contributing 9% to GDP.
  • DOT programs include Tourist Rest Areas, local tourism infrastructure funding, and initiatives supporting communities, students, and digital tourism development.
DOT Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco delivers her keynote address at the Tourism Congress of the Philippines 2025 Annual National Meeting on November 26, 2025, at Lanson Place, Mall of Asia in Pasay City. (Photo courtesy of DOT)
DOT Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco delivers her keynote address at the Tourism Congress of the Philippines 2025 Annual National Meeting on November 26, 2025, at Lanson Place, Mall of Asia in Pasay City. (Photo courtesy of DOT)
Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco on Wednesday, Nov. 26, called on the private sector to guide the spending of the restored ₱1-billion tourism promotions budget for 2026.
The DOT will now rely on industry input to identify target markets, flagship products, and promotional strategies.
Frasco described the allocation as a “people’s tourism budget,” where private-sector priorities will directly shape government campaigns.
Addressing members of the Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP) at Lanson Place, Mall of Asia in Pasay City, she emphasized that tourism performance should not be measured solely by international arrivals.
Domestic tourism is projected to generate USD 70 billion in revenue in 2025, with 134 million trips recorded in 2023, highlighting the sector’s strong local impact, according to Frasco.
Tourism now employs nearly seven million Filipinos.
It also provides indirect benefits to more than 16 million and contributed almost 9 percent to the country’s gross domestic product, with ₱3.86 trillion in receipts recorded in 2024.
Among ongoing DOT programs are 14 completed Tourist Rest Areas nationwide and nearly ₱400 million in Cycle 2 funding for local tourism infrastructure, she highlighted.
Initiatives such as the Tourism Champions Challenge and Tourism Startup Challenge support community projects, student innovation, and digital tourism development, Frasco noted.
Connectivity improvements remain a priority, with NAIA privatization, upgrades at key regional gateways, and new international routes to San Francisco, Paris, Delhi, Brisbane, and Ho Chi Minh City.
The Philippines will also host the ASEAN Tourism Forum and the UN Tourism Global Gastronomy Forum in 2026, Frasco added.
The TCP Annual National Meeting gathered leaders from accommodation, travel, transport, MICE, tourism estate development, academe, and government sectors.

Related Tags

DOT Christina Garcia-Frasco tourism budget private sector 2026 tourism plan
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