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Government

13 DEAF TOUR GUIDES GET DOT ACCREDITATION – ROMULO-PUYAT

Thirteen new deaf tour guides, who underwent training in March, have been accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT). The accreditation was in line with the DOT’s bid for barrier-free tourism that also caters to the needs of persons with disabilities (PWDs) traveling around the country. All tour guides accredited are members of the Deafinite […]

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Government

DOT LAUNCHES CULINARY TOURISM PROJECT IN CALABARZON – ESTEVEZ

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has launched the Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon (Calabarzon) leg of the country’s culinary tourism project, “Kain Na!” (Let’s Eat!). Poised to introduce the specialties, as well as new dishes that mostly highlight the region’s rich coconut produce, Chef Kenneth Degracia of the Costales Nature Farm in Laguna, is confident […]

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Government

NON-COMPLIANT EL NIDO RESORTS TO BE CLOSED – ROMULO-PUYAT

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said she had recommended to President Rodrigo Duterte the closure of non-compliant tourism establishments in El Nido. Romulo-Puyat wrote to the local government units of El Nido in September 2018, urging them to address easement issues and environmental woes. To date, the enforcement of easement zone is currently done by the […]

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Government

NO BOOKINGS, ONLINE PROMOS FOR NON-COMPLIANT BORACAY ESTABLISHMENTS – CIMATU

The Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) has issued a stern warning against non-compliant Boracay establishments to refrain from accepting bookings and conducting online promotions. “We are strongly advising non-compliant establishments to delete or put on-hold all online promotions and related collaterals until compliance with the government regulations shall have been accomplished,” a public advisory from […]

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Politics

HOUSE APPROVES TOURISM SITES ACCESSIBILITY BILL – BELARO

A measure seeking to give road access to all tourism sites in the country hurdled third and final reading at the House of Representatives. With 205 affirmative votes, the Lower House overwhelmingly recently passed House Bill 8143, or the “Tourism Sites Accessibility Act.” There was no negative vote and no abstention. The bill mandates the […]

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Politics

MAXIMIZE FUNDS SO ‘PROBINSYANOS’ CAN BENEFIT FROM TOURISM – NOGRALES

House Appropriations Chairperson Rep. Karlo “Ang Probinsyano” Nograles believes the tourism industry can help put more money into the pockets of his fellow “probinsyanos,” and he is hopeful that the Department of Tourism (DOT) can maximize its P3 billion budget to make it happen. The DOT defended its budget at the House of Representatives on […]

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Politics

WE ARE ALREADY IN THE PROCESS OF INVESTIGATING THE DOT AD CONTROVERSY – GORDON

Senator Dick Gordon said the Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations or the Blue Ribbon has already started the ball rolling on the conduct of an investigation into the Department of Tourism (DOT) advertisement placement controversy. Gordon, committee chairman, disclosed that as early as May 2018, the Blue Ribbon already sent a letter […]

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Politics

3.7M FOREIGN TOURIST ARRIVALS FROM JAN-JUNE AN ALL-TIME HIGH – ROMULO-PUYAT

The country is “on track” with its 2018 target for international arrivals after foreign tourists to the Philippines reached an “all-time high” of 3.706 million in the first half of the year, said the Department of Tourism (DOT). “We are actually on track. We are halfway the year and we are exactly halfway of our […]

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Government

DOT JOINS FORCES WITH DENR TO ‘SAVE’ BORACAY – TEO

The Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) embarked on a joint effort to save Boracay Island in Aklan province from further destruction. This developed after Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo and Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu recently conducted an aerial survey of the world-renowned island, which is fast losing the […]