The Department of Tourism (DoT) and several major Philippine media organizations signed agreements to promote the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Tourism Forum, which the country will host in Mactan, Cebu, in January next year.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco led the ceremonial signing of memorandums of understanding with nine outlets, including DAILY TRIBUNE, BusinessMirror, Inquirer Interactive Inc., Malaya Business Insight, Manila Bulletin, Manila Standard, The Manila Times and The Philippine Star.

DAILY TRIBUNE president Willie Fernandez and brand communications executive director Chingkee Mangcucang represented the paper at the signing.

‘Anything but calm’

Frasco said the agreements follow a year marked by natural disasters, geopolitical tensions, and economic uncertainties, during which 31 travel advisories urged caution or advised against travel to the Philippines.

She noted that the department has operated with a decreasing budget for three consecutive years, saying that competing tourism destinations in the region outspend the Philippines “by three to eight times.”

“There were days when the challenges felt relentless, when the next storm arrived before the winds of the last one had even settled,” Frasco said. “And yet, here we are today, not defeated but hopeful.”

The secretary said hosting the ASEAN Tourism Forum in 2026 reflects the country’s resilience and offers a positive start to the coming year.

She added that the tourism sector continues to face challenges but remains driven “not by partisanship but by people,” emphasizing the department’s goal of highlighting stories of Filipino communities to strengthen the country’s tourism narrative.

“Tourism has survived calamities,” she said. “Today, we are bound by a collective hope for a successful staging of the ASEAN Tourism Forum — and the narrative of Philippine tourism is worth telling, [and] the stories of our people are worth sharing.”

Growth amid calamities

A year of growth for the tourism sector was achieved despite a series of natural and artificial calamities and geopolitical challenges, Frasco said. She added the industry had been tested this year by volcanic eruptions, super typhoons, earthquakes, and other national issues.

“We have navigated geopolitical tensions that have shaped global patterns and absorbed economic uncertainties,” she said.

She noted that the DoT has also faced declining budgets over the past three years, adding that the country’s direct competitors outspend the Philippines by three to eight times.

“Philippine tourism has shown itself to be one of the great silver linings of our national story,” Frasco said. “We did not waste time in offering help to our affected tourism workers and their livelihoods that have been devastated by the non-stop calamities.”

She said the agency continues to provide social protection, emergency health assistance, and relief aid to more than 40,000 tourism workers nationwide.