[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Drilon urges DOT to raise 2017 budget’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”][/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
MANILA – Lawmakers on Tuesday expressed concerns on the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) proposed 2017 budget, which is 32 percent below the current P3.66 billion allocation.
Senate President Pro-Tempore Franklin Drilon urged the DOT to repeal its proposed budget of P2.49 billion during the first round of committee meetings on the proposed 2017 budget of the DOT and its attached agencies.
Implying “more exposure, more tourists coming to the country,” Drilon expects the DOT to ask for a raise in its next year’s budget.
Drilon told Tourism secretary Wanda Teo to reconsider the proposed marketing budget of P300 million from the current P1.1 billion allocation, considering the DOT is targeting to bring in some 6.5 million foreign tourists and 73.3 million domestic travelers in 2017.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) earlier cited the previous DOT administration’s unspent funds for maintenance, as well as miscellaneous and other operating expenses as the cause for its appropriation of P2.49 billion for 2017. According to DOT undersecretary Katherine de Castro, the DOT welcomes the Senate Committee on Finance’s positive outlook for the country’s tourism.
“On the whole, the meeting was a breath of fresh air for us, a boost in the arm, as our lawmakers themselves see the tourism sector’s 8 percent contribution to our country’s gross domestic product and that it generates job for many Filipinos, despite the lower budget allocation compared to other government agencies,” she added.
The Senate Committee on Finance has “approved with augmentation” the DOT’s 2017 proposed budget, the undersecretary said, implying that the agency would only need to submit a branding and media campaign to get the proposed raise in the budget.
Committee chair Loren Legarda has high hopes that Philippine tourism would eventually be in the same league as India and Malaysia in terms of branding and media exposure on major international channels worldwide.
The Ilongga senator also told DOT to work closely with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in addressing issues on environmental degradation, sustainability of natural resources, and cleanliness, especially in Palawan, Boracay, and Bohol.
Of the proposed P2.49 billion budget, P218.79 million has been allocated for DOT’s attached agencies and P42.37 million for the Intramuros Administration. It also includes a special provision of P4.58-million Tourism Development Fund to be utilized for the development, promotion, and marketing of tourism in the country, while some P150 million from the net profits of the Duty Free Philippines will be used for tourism-related projects and activities./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
