Tourism dept ranks high in businessmen's survey

Senatorial candidate Richard Gordon welcomed recent survey results conducted by the Makati Business Club which ranked the Department of Tourism among the top three performing government agencies in 2003.

Over the previous six months (July-December 2003), the DOT ranked number two in terms of performance, garnering a net satisfaction score of 58.6, with 74.4 percent satisfied and 15.8 percent not satisfied.

"This is a positive sign and should certainly encourage us to pursue the promotion of the Philippine tourism industry with more intensity." Gordon said.

He pointed out the need to enact legislation that would give a higher priority to funding for tourism promotion efforts and the building of infrastructure that would enable the country to accommodate larger volumes of tourists.

Gordon cited that even with minimum funding for tourist promotion and the negative publicity created by the failed coup attempt in the country and SARS, tourist arrivals reached a record high in December 2003. He explained that with a bit more funding, tourist arrivals could easily grow to more than four times the highest annual tourist arrival of 2.2 million.

"But to accommodate this, we must have the infrastructure. We envision a time when tourists from all over the world can land at a Silay international airport in Negros or at a Caticlan international airport in Aklan. We must have more direct international flights to places near our best tourist spots and tourists must be able to travel with ease between these places." Gordon said.

The K-4 senatorial bet further stressed that more than any of the government’s poverty alleviation projects and programs, tourism had a deeper and more direct positive impact in terms of creating livelihood and jobs for the people.

"This is one of the reasons why I am running for the Senate and it is to claim the distinction of being the first senator to make a real difference in the lives of people." Gordon said.