Grants raised for the Department of Tourism’s (DoT) Tourism Champions Challenge (TCC) have reached P255 million, as announced by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during the project’s awarding ceremony Monday evening.

The DoT’s TCC encourages local governments to actively participate in the transformation of the country’s tourism industry through innovative infrastructure proposals.

“I would like to congratulate the Department of Tourism for striking a rich vein of talent and tapping various stakeholders for innovative ideas that will energize and enhance tourism development in our country. The best way to draw crowds is to crowdsource ideas and how to bring them in. The response to this Tourism Champions Challenge, I have been told, has been nothing less than overwhelming,” said the President, who also extended her congratulations to Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco.

Further, the President described that the proposals submitted to the TCC were “not mere proposals” but an “impressive catalog of creativity and innovation.”

From the ground up

He noted, “It is also heartwarming that these are not mere proposals anymore, but are existing projects of proven value that have already shown unqualified success. This is the way tourism should be developed in our view, like economic growth, not relying on trickle-down, but built from the ground up.”

Likewise, the President said, “The national government will build more infrastructure, implement tourism-friendly policies, and arouse interest from global audiences. As we move forward with optimism in our hearts, let us commend Secretary Christina Frasco, the Department of Tourism, and the TIEZA for doing exemplary work on these ends. They have fostered a conducive environment for creative and innovative tourism through this initiative, which meets one overriding objective: Sa Bagong Pilipinas, Mas Maraming Bisita Ang Darating at Pasasayahin.”

For her part, Frasco described the event “as a pivotal moment towards the journey of tourism transformation.”

“Pursuant to our President’s vision for our nation, the Tourism Champions Challenge was launched and designed to unleash the potential of cities and municipalities across the Philippines, by inviting them to propose innovative tourism infrastructure projects that aim to foster sustainability, inclusivity, and resilience in tourism development, enhancing our local destinations and communities and most importantly, providing added economic opportunity for our communities nationwide,” the Secretary added.