Legitimacy of Tourism Congress Board questioned

MANILA, Philippines - Industry players are questioning the legitimacy of the Tourism Congress Board, whose officers were appointees of the previous administration.

“The Tourism Congress is a sham as it does not represent the whole industry,” Marciano Ragaza, former president of the Philippine Travel Agents Association (PTAA), said.

“When it was convened last year, there were only 58 members out of the 1,360 accredited tourism enterprises who were invited to participate in the Tourism Congress,” he said.

Ragaza said the officers were elected in a meeting of just 58 people handpicked by former Tourism secretary Joseph Ace Durano.

Various groups, including the Federation of Tourism Industries of the Philippines Inc., have pushed for a review of the Tourism Act, specifically the provision on the creation of the Tourism Congress.

They said officials of the Board of Trustees convened under Implementing Rules and Regulations that were being questioned in court.

Jaime Cura, Tourism Congress vice-president, had accused Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim of failing to consult the body on the re-branding of its programs.

Cura also lashed out at Lim for not recognizing the Tourism Congress, an entity created under the Tourism Act of 2009 to serve as a private sector consultative body on tourism policies and programs.

“The alleged Board of Trustees of the Tourism Congress has no legitimacy to speak for the entire industry, particularly on the matter of opposing the confirmation of Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim,” Ragaza said.