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My journey in steering an industry that was gravely impacted by the global health crisis was not a walk in the park, but despite the odds, I am grateful and honoured to be at your service
There are some travel memories you’ll never forget—the first time you climbed a mountain, that wild reunion with your high school best friends, or maybe the experience of swimming with whale sharks. The business of tourism is about making these memories possible so that travellers will come back for more. As Secretary of the Department of Tourism, I’ve had many memorable moments of travelling over the four years of my term, but they’re not exactly what you’d think they are.
After months of being trapped inside their homes during ECQ in 2020, Filipinos were finally allowed to move around—but not to travel. Local borders were still shut, temporarily closing tourism establishments until the situation improved.
Reopening a destination was not as simple as turning back on the lights. The LGU had to support the decision: the hotel and accommodation sector needed to be accredited, and the stakeholders had to be prepared. During this time, I travelled to many destinations, from Baguio to Boracay, attending consultation meetings and assessing their readiness to welcome outsiders.
Read also: Berna Romulo-Puyat Is A Woman On A Mission
Above Lance Gokongwei, Lawrence Bender, Margarita Forés, Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat, Kevin Kwan and Cathy Feliciano-Chon
Lance Gokongwei, Lawrence Bender, Margarita Forés, Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat, Kevin Kwan and Cathy Feliciano-Chon
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I also travelled around the country to distribute financial assistance granted through the Bayanihan Act and met with the many MSMEs whose employees were displaced or otherwise struggling to earn an income. Market vendors, masseurs, event organisers, surf instructors, fabric weavers, tour guides, and boat operators—these were just some of the people whose livelihoods had been severely impacted by the cease in tourism. In normal times, they would be the ones who would make a traveller’s life easier. They would make your trip happen. They would provide service with a smile. They would also make everything more fun.
So, despite the streets being empty, the beaches desolate and the once-bustling tourist attractions resembling ghost towns, they still comprised the memorable moments of my travel in 2020. They, too, came to define my purpose in the DOT for the rest of my term because I saw who we were serving—not just the tourists but all the Filipinos in the industry whose lives have been uplifted by tourism. There were over five million people in the Philippines employed in the tourism sector before the pandemic hit. That’s a significant chunk of the national workforce, and now many of them needed help to make it through what seemed to be an indefinitely dark period.
"Market vendors, masseurs, event organisers, surf instructors, fabric weavers, tour guides, boat operators... In normal times, they would be the ones who would make a traveller’s life easier. They would make your trip happen. They would provide service with a smile. They would also make everything more fun"
Through our Tourism Response and Recovery Program (TRRP) and the Reformulated National Tourism Development Plan (RNTDP), the DOT began to implement people-centred initiatives to drive the industry’s recovery. We also doubled our push for domestic tourism, nurturing pride of place and calling on the spirit of Bayanihan among Filipinos.
When destinations began opening one by one, we endeavoured to make travelling as convenient as possible by subsidising RT-PCR tests and streamlining entry protocols. We also promoted safety campaigns that reminded people that travelling can still be enjoyable as long as health guidelines were followed.
The arrival of the first batch of Covid-19 vaccines in February 2021 was a game-changer. The lifesaving shots were first made available to front liners, so we lobbied for certain tourism workers to be included because those who worked at ports, airports and quarantine facilities deserved to be protected as soon as possible. Today, 98 per cent of all our tourism workers across the country have been fully vaccinated, and this played a major part in the safe reopening of our destinations and the rebuilding of confidence in travelling.
We were all set to start allowing international tourists back to our country at the end of 2021 when Omicron came in like a wrecking ball. Fortunately, the variant also quickly dissipated and by February 10, we welcomed our very first international leisure travellers in nearly two years, without the requirement to test upon arrival or quarantine. The ease of entering the Philippines has made it a hot “revenge travel” destination in Southeast Asia, with over half a million visitors and counting, as of this writing.
Above Renowned film producer Lawrence Bender, Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat, 'Crazy Rich Asians' author Kevin Kwan, and Tatler Philippines Editor-in-Chief Anton San Diego
Renowned film producer Lawrence Bender, Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat, 'Crazy Rich Asians' author Kevin Kwan, and Tatler Philippines Editor-in-Chief Anton San Diego
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I was thrilled and immensely proud that we were able to cap everything off with the hugely successful World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit hosted in Manila last April, the first big MICE event to be held in Asia since the pandemic. Can you believe we had 1,289 delegates from over 50 countries and zero Covid cases? We showed tourism leaders and decision makers what fun means in the Philippines—enticing cuisine, exceptional talent and effervescent service—and that’s just inside the hotels. After the summit, they got to see for themselves all the wondrous destinations we’ve been working hard to improve on.
There’s one scene from the Summit reception gala that sticks in my mind. When guests departed from the dining hall, they were greeted by a chorus line of singers and dancers dressed in an array of Filipino regalia, chanting and clapping “It’s More Fun in the Philippines!” with the biggest, sincerest smiles. It was truly heart-melting; even WTTC President Julia Simpson was disarmed by our warmth. This warmth comes from a genuine place, from the innate nature of Filipinos to be welcoming and hospitable, but also from the joy of being able to share with the world once again our riches, our blessings, our beauty.
Above Outfit: Kultura
Outfit: Kultura
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You could say that my tenure as DOT chief was not a normal one. In 2018, I came into the tourism department when its crown jewel—an entire island—shut down for the first time in the history of Philippine tourism. After its rehabilitation, we received numerous awards for Boracay and in the following year, we were met with the most successful year in terms of tourist arrivals.
In 2019, we welcomed a record-breaking total of 8.26 million foreign visitors to our shores along with 110 million domestic trips. That’s why when the pandemic happened, my first reaction was to worry about the numbers. But I soon took stock of the greater impact of the pandemic on our industry, which is made up of tourism workers, of employees of MSMEs, and of people who don’t see their backyards as “the best beach in the world” but who just see it as “home”.
I end this journey as Tourism Secretary learning that despite our beautiful beaches, majestic dive spots and alluring landscapes, it’s the people who make the destination. They—you—are what truly matters to the industry; and for that, it’s been my honour to be at your service.
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