DOT chief shares tourism disaster  preparedness at UNWTO

CEBU, Philippines —  Tourism manual on disaster in the country will be rolled out this year, the Department of Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said during the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s high-level meeting at Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Frasco was asked about the country’s experiences in crisis management and emergency response with her laying the policies and the proactive measures of the Philippine government to prepare for such a situation.

The Philippines recognizes the necessity of having a proper framework in place, especially in terms of disaster risk, reduction, and management which is why we do have an umbrella organization from the National Risk Reduction Coordinating Council that consolidates the efforts of all government agencies in the Philippines in times of need, said Frasco.

Frasco also recognized the necessity of cascading it down to destinations especially to disaster-prone areas.

“And that is why under the administration of our President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., the Department of Tourism (DOT) passed a disaster risk reduction manual specific for tourism which is cascaded down to all our regional offices, and establishes regional operation centers that are activated as a measure of prevention and also of response,” the tourism chief added.

The Tourism Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Manual has been initiated by the DOT recognizing the potential impact of disasters on the tourism industry, and the importance of ensuring the safety and well-being of tourists and their stakeholders in emergency situations.

The manual will serve as a comprehensive reference on tourism disaster management, incorporating risk assessment, preparedness, prevention and mitigation, response, recovery, and strategies.

“In this way, we are able to have a quick response for the protection of tourists on the ground. Having been a mayor myself prior to being a Secretary myself, we recognize the necessity of quick community action that is why we passed this manual for the Department of Tourism,” enthused Frasco.

Aside from that, a safe and sustainable destination for all is also at the top of DOT’s priority.

“It has also been about confidence building as far as government intervention is concerned, and that is why very recently, the Department of Tourism has signed a Memorandum of Agreement with our Department of National Defense as well our Department of the Interior and Local Government for purposes of building confidence in Mindanao – which is the southern part of the Philippines,” Frasco said.

Accordingly, this is the first ever signed tripartite agreement among the national government agencies that aims to promote Mindanao as a peaceful and viable tourist destination.

In terms of driving tourism growth for the Philippines in a post-pandemic setup, Frasco said that new programs and plans are geared towards sustainable tourism practices.

With this, the DOT also partners with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the DILG in forming a National Sustainable Tourism Council.

“All for the purpose of ensuring that from the side of government and from the side of the consumer, we are able to leave our tourist destinations better than when we found it,” stressed Frasco.

Frasco also shared that to keep up with the challenge of human capital resources, DOT together with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), mounted a series of Philippine Tourism Job Fairs last year. A first of its kind in the country, the job fair series sought to bridge the existing gap between unemployed tourism workers and tourism enterprises in need of workers.

“The challenge that we have faced in the Philippines at the onset of the pandemic and the subsequent thereto, has also included manpower. I believe this is the challenge that has been faced by many countries all over the world, with those previously employed in the tourism sector having gone to other employment. And that is, why in response to this, we held tourism job fairs all over the Philippines that offered over 19,000 tourism-related employment. Tourism has also generated over 5.2 million employment for the Philippines as for the year 2022,” Frasco explained.