Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco underscored the Philippines’ commitment to visitor-centered care in her remarks at the launch of the DOT Transit Tour and Medical Tourism Concierge Pavilion at NAIA Terminal 3.
The pavilion houses the Philippines’ first-ever DOT Transit Tour and Medical Tourism Concierge, a purpose-built space that offers curated short tours for transiting passengers while providing dedicated airport assistance to medical travelers.
“In the Philippines, we love our tourists so much that we provide amenities for them that make the journey as convenient, seamless, safe and memorable as possible,” Frasco said as a reflection of the country’s distinct Filipino brand of care.
The tourism chief emphasized that the Transit Tour and Medical Tourism Concierge is the result of close public–private collaboration, shaped by insights from tourism, aviation, medical, and wellness stakeholders on how the government can continue to improve services while sustaining livelihoods across the tourism value chain.
“It has the potential to transform layovers into meaningful first encounters with the Philippines.”
On the Transit Tour Program, the tourism head highlighted its potential to transform layovers into meaningful first encounters with the Philippines.
Building on the success of the Hop-On Hop-Off bus tours launched two years ago, the program taps into the nearly half a million passengers who transit through the gateway annually.
This offers a curated glimpse of Philippine culture, heritage, and storytelling within just a few hours, and planting the idea of a future, longer visit.
She also described the Medical Tourism Concierge as another milestone under the Marcos Administration, designed to provide convenience, seamless entry procedures, and dedicated lounge facilities for medical travelers.
By bridging the experience from arrival to eventual treatment and recovery, and by engaging both medical and wellness partners, the initiative strengthens the Philippines’ positioning as a trusted destination where world-class capability is matched by compassion, care, and hospitality.
Frasco concluded that the launch serves as tangible proof of what can be achieved when government and the private sector work together.
She expressed optimism for Philippine tourism in 2026 and note that the initiative is a fitting way to close the year, grounded in partnership, confidence, and a shared commitment to welcoming the world.
“This is a tacit evidence of the good that can happen when public, when the public and our private partners come together.”
“Overall, we’re very happy, as this is a tacit evidence of the good that can happen when public, when the public and our private partners come together,” Frasco noted.
“So thank you so much for your partnership, thank you for always coming together for Philippine tourism,” she concluded.
