DOT pushes sustainable tourism mandate, highlights grant program
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Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco reaffirmed the Department of Tourism’s commitment to a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient tourism sector during her keynote at the Philippine Sustainability Now Forum 2025 on 23 April at Dusit Thani Hotel Manila.
Organized by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, the forum convened leaders from government, business, and civil society to advance environmentally conscious strategies.
“Sustainability should not be a mere preference. It should be a mandate,” Frasco declared. She noted that the National Tourism Development Plan (2023–2028) embeds sustainable tourism in all DOT programs under President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.
Frasco highlighted four pillars of the DOT’s transformational agenda — infrastructure, connectivity, product diversification, and heritage-centered promotion — and cited partnerships with DPWH and TIEZA to upgrade airports, tourism roads, and flood-resilient facilities. She also reported that 100 solar-powered Tourist Rest Areas, equipped with rainwater harvesting, are on track to roll out Nationwide.
The Tourism Champions Challenge has awarded over ₱250 million in grants to 15 LGUs for sustainable projects, including mangrove ecotourism in Panay, Capiz, and community conservation in Bolinao, Pangasinan. The upcoming second cycle will expand funding. Frasco also touted the Philippine Experience Program, now active in 12 regions, which showcases local culture, festivals, and creative industries through co-developed tourism circuits.
As chair of the National Ecotourism Council, Frasco unveiled the National Ecotourism Strategy and Action Plan 2024–2028, reinforcing the country’s ecotourism leadership. She added that updated National Accommodation Standards, AIM-led sustainability training, green infrastructure projects like bike-friendly roads, and the solar-powered Philippine Pavilion from Expo 2025 Osaka further institutionalize sustainable tourism values.
“We must graduate from this concept of simply counting arrivals to measuring the true value of tourism in our destinations, and most importantly, what it contributes to the host, to the local communities, and to community-based tourism organizations. It cannot be simply about quantity — it must be about quality…If we are to truly pursue sustainable tourism development, then we must ensure that tourism growth benefits our local stakeholders, manages capacities in our destinations, and offer experiences that have a deeper engagement between tourists and our communities, for them to value our assets and our destinations,” Secretary Frasco emphasized.
