DoT, top media outlets join forces for ASEAN Tourism Forum 2026

The Department of Tourism (DoT) on Wednesday signed agreements with several major Philippine media organizations to promote the 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 during the signing.

‘Anything but calm’

Frasco said the agreements follow a year marked by natural disasters, geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainties that resulted in 31 travel advisories urging caution or avoidance of travel to the Philippines over the past five months.

She noted that the department has operated with a decreasing budget for three consecutive years, saying 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.

Frasco added that the tourism sector continues to face difficulties but remains driven “not by partisanship but by people,” emphasizing the department’s goal to highlight 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.”