Thank you to our Executive Secretary, Secretary Luke Bersamin for your kind introduction.

[Please, take your seats]

Of course, our Tourism Secretary, Secretary Christina Frasco; the TIEZA Authority Chief Operating Officer, Mark Lapid; and ang lagi naming kasama ‘pag napupunta kami sa bandang CCP, PICC, ang butihing Mayor ng Pasay City, Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano.

At ang lahat ng mga naging winner dito sa ating Tourism Champion Challenge, congratulations sa inyong lahat. At maraming- maraming salamat sa inyong lahat dahil ipagmamalaki ninyo hindi lamang ng lupa ng PIlipinas, kung hindi ang kagandahan ng loob at ugali ng Pilipino.

My fellow workers in government; ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon.

Let me greet you in the same cheerful manner we Filipinos have been welcoming our guests to make them feel at home right away, Mabuhay! [crowd: Mabuhay!]

It has been said that a successful tourism program must possess five essentials, As or aces. Accommodation, Accessibility, Activities, Amenities, and Attraction.

Today we can add another A to that: Awards.

Because if we want our tourism industry to attract more MICE or Meetings— MICE ‘yung tinatawag or Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Exhibitions, we must first entice them with a different set of MICE. And we have really find it for the purposes it is explaining that. Ngayon, MICE are Merits, Inducements, Commendations, and Entitlements.

This challenge to elicit creativity will magnify the magnetism of Philippine tourism is a step in that direction.

So, I would like to congratulate the Department of Tourism for striking a rich vein of talent and tapping various stakeholders for innovative ideas that will energize and enhance tourism development in our country.

For indeed, the best way to draw crowds is to crowdsourcing ideas and how to bring them in.

The response to this Tourism Champions Challenge, I have been told, has been nothing less than overwhelming.

Taken together, the submissions form one impressive catalogue of creativity and innovation.

It is also heartwarming to note that these are not mere proposals anymore, but they are existing projects of proven value and that have already shown unqualified success.

This is the way tourism should be developed in our view, like economic growth, not relying on trickle-down, but built from the ground up.

You and I are all aware that we are in the midst of a great travel resurgence, which must be met with our own tourism renaissance.

That is why we have been modernizing our airports, from Clark to Cebu, soon we will bravely unravel the newly improved Manila International Airport, [Laguindingan] Airport, the Bohol airport, are all it he pipeline now.

We have also been upgrading our seaports, kpaving more roads to tourism spots.

We are investing in the upskilling of our human resource that is the lynchpin of any hospitality business.

And when our friendliness is matched with our fabulous sites, it is the perfect combination, it is hard to beat, we are world class. [applause]

We have sun, we have sea, we have surf and shopping. Add na rin, sama na rin natin masarap na pagkain, mga fiesta, at saka page-enjoy.

By themselves, these wonders— these are wonders already wonders to behold.

And in their natural unfiltered state, they’re already picturesque that doesn’t require Photoshop para pagandahin pa.

In fact, travelers’ reviews are one in raving that our islands are so enchanting that no prose nor photo can adequately capture the true beauty of the Filipino countryside.

Nevertheless, these should not make us complacent.

We must work harder to make our country stand out amidst a very competitive market.

We have to Build Better More tourism facilities and infrastructure, step up our marketing drive, and rev up training.

We have to open up more tourism areas so we can have a diversified and a dynamic portfolio that can drive up interest before a wider clientele.

In 2023, we welcomed 5.5 million inbound tourists, 100 percent jump from the previous year.

This year, the DOT has targeted 7.7 million inbound tourists. Backed by the arrivals surpassing 1.2 million in the first two months of 2024, the DOT has expressed optimism in sustaining the gains that we have made.

But, we would all be very happy if we can breach this target again, like we did last year.

Make no mistake about it: The world is ready to love the Philippines. [applause]

For all of us here who live in the Philippines, have been traveling around the Philippines, we know how beautiful the Philippines is.

We know that it does not matter where our visitors come from, we can show of with great pride the Philippines.

But I must tell you, for somebody who talks to many, many other nationalities from around the world, what really brings the travelers here, that really brings the tourists here, are certainly the beautiful sites, certainly the fun activities, certainly the great facilities, but the most important part of it is the Filipino, the heart of the Filipino that we show the love of the Filipino, that we show even strangers who we have never met before, and will no longer meet after they have come here, but ganyan talaga ang ugali ng Pilipino, ganyan talaga ang ugali natin dito sa Pilipinas at ‘yan ang pinaka malaking— sa aking pagpalagay, yan ang pinaka malaking— ang pinaka laging hinahanap ng mga turista na pumupunta dito sa Pilipinas.

I have— how many times have you heard it? This is a— come to the Philippines, it’s a beautiful country. But come for the people. So, let us highlight not only the beauty of the Philippines, not only the physical wonderment that they will find when they come here but that warmth, that affection, that love that Filipinos always bring to their relationship.

We show the world that we have long been ready to love them back.

Today, our LGU tourism champions have proven equal to that challenge.

With these merits in mind, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) approved the grant of an additional five million pesos for each winner to the funding support you have garnered under the Tourism Champions Challenge. [cheers and applause]

We are doing this because it is a very, very good policy to invest in success. So, make the most of it. Make the Philippines proud. Make the Filipinos proud. [cheers and applause]

Each winner deserves this additional reward towards building infinite capabilities to make everything better.

It is also reaffirmation of my belief that local governments are our indispensable and active partners in national development.

Be assured that we will match your industry, equal your dedication, and complement your work.

The national government will build more infrastructure, implement tourism-friendly policies, and arouse interest from global audiences.

As we move forward with optimism in our heart, let us commend Secretary Christina Frasco, the Department of Tourism, and the TIEZA for doing exemplary work on these ends. [applause]

They have fostered a conducive environment for creative and innovative tourism through this initiative, which meets one overriding objective: Sa Bagong Pilipinas, Mas Maraming Bisita Ang Darating at Pasasayahin.

Maraming, maraming salamat sa inyo. [applause]

Mabuhay ang Bagong Pilipinas! [applause]

Magandang hapon po sa inyong lahat. [applause]

—END—