DOT BREEZES THROUGH HOUSE PLENARY WITH UNANIMOUS APPROVAL OF FY 2025 BUDGET

BATASANG PAMBANSA, Quezon City – The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Tuesday (September 17) breezed through the 2025 Plenary Budget Hearing at the House of Representatives.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco expressed her gratitude to lawmakers, after a swift deliberation of the 2025 budget for the DOT and its attached agencies, with proceedings lasting no more than 30 minutes.

“On behalf of the Department of Tourism, I extend my deepest gratitude to the House of Representatives for their decisive support to our Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 budget. The overwhelming support from both the majority and minority underscores the collective commitment to further advancing the tourism sector. I would also like to thank our budget sponsor, Representative Inno Dy, for his steadfast dedication in highlighting the crucial role that tourism plays in our nation’s economic recovery. With this crucial push from our lawmakers, we are well-positioned to sustain the momentum of growth and elevate our country’s tourism standing on the global stage,” said Secretary Frasco.

Sponsoring the DOT’s budget for FY 2025, Isabela 6th district Representative Faustino “Inno” Dy, V emphasized the importance of the tourism industry to the economy and heralding the Filipino identity on the global stage.

“More than an economic driver, tourism is the heart that beats at the core of our identity as Filipinos. It tells us the story of our rich heritage, our vibrant communities, and the natural wonders that define our archipelago. It is a force that unites us, fuels our economy, and showcases the best of who we are to the world. As we stand on the precipice of unprecedented opportunities, this proposed budget serves as a roadmap to not only sustain but elevate the tourism sector as a cornerstone of our economic growth and national pride,” Representative Dy said.

According to Representative Dy, the proposed budget of the DOT embodies the vision of reinforcing the central role that tourism plays in the nation’s development and in the lives of millions of Filipinos, adding that the “budget is not merely a fiscal allocation, but rather strategic investment of our nation’s future”.

 

“During the Committee hearings, we, as a collective body, affirmed not only our endorsement but also our intention to enhance the budget further. This decision reflects our shared recognition that tourism is a transformative force in our national agenda, one that requires substantial and continued investment. It is our belief that by reinforcing DOT’s financial capacity, we are enabling the Department to implement its programs more effectively, foster more significant growth, and ensure that every peso spent yields dividends that ripple across our communities,” Representative Dy added.

“The year 2023 has proven that the resilience of our tourism sector knows no bounds. We have witnessed a remarkable resurgence: over 6.2 million Filipinos are now employed in tourism-related sectors, contributing 8.6 percent to our GDP. Our combined domestic and international tourism expenditure reached an astounding 3.36 trillion pesos, a testament to the immense potential of our industry. The Tourism Direct Gross Value Added soared to 2.09 trillion pesos, achieving the highest growth rate in nearly a quarter century. For the first time in 15 years, Mr. Speaker, the industry registered a net trade surplus of approximately 2.45 billion US dollars in travel services—a true reflection of the sector’s strength and dynamism,” he further expounded.

The DOT and its attached agencies have a total proposed budget amounting to P3.394 B, of which 83% or Php2.84 billion is allocated to the Office of the Secretary (OSEC). Attached agencies such as the National Parks Development Committee (NPDC), will get an allocation of Php384 million, while the Intramuros Administration (IA) and the Philippine Commission of Sports Scuba Diving (PCSSD) will have Php146 million and Php25 million, respectively.

 

During the interpellation, OFW Partylist Representative Marissa “Del Mar” Magsino commended the DOT’s initiatives aimed at supporting Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) through initiatives such as the ongoing convergence program with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) dubbed ‘Balik Bayani sa Turismo’.

“Nagpapasalamat po ang representanteng ito ng OFW Partylist sa Department of Tourism, gayundin po sa mga partner agencies sa pagbubuo po at pagpapatupad ng ganitong programa para po sa reintegration ng ating mga returning OFWs, lalo na po ‘yung walang ibang mapagkakakitaan pagbalik po nila sa ating bansa. Una, Mr. Speaker, marami po sa ating OFWs ang napipilitang magtrabaho abroad dahil sa kakulangan ng employment opportunities sa ating bansa. At sa kanilang pagbabalik mula sa pagtatrabaho sa ibang bansa, mahalaga rin po ang kanilang reintegration lalo na’t ang karaniwan sa ating OFWs ay nasa employable age pa kapag sila ay bumabalik sa ating bansa,” Representative Magsino said.

“Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sponsor, hangad ko po ang tagumpay ng programang ito ng Department of Tourism at sana po ay mas mapalawak pa po natin. Ang OFW Partylist po ay maligaya at ako po ay buong suporta, ang ibinibigay po natin ay karagdagang budget ng atin pong Department of Tourism,” she added.

Meanwhile, Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Northern Samar 1st district Representative Paul Daza urged for the Majority’s reconsideration of the DOT’s budget. He pointed out the huge disparity between tourism’s economic contributions and the fiscal support it gets year after year through the National Expenditure Program.

“Allow me to first state for the record that tourism is a critical sector for our economy. From what I recollect, the tourism sector brings in at least around 9 to 10 [sic] percent of the GDP of our country, [but yet], if you do the simple mathematics, Php 3.3 billion [sic] proposed budget for 2025 is less than one-half of one percent of the proposed National Expenditure Program for 2025. It’s somewhat shameful, and I think we need to reconsider this proposed budget for the Department, considering that the agency is headed by a very passionate and dedicated Secretary (Frasco) who has done quite a bit despite all the issues and the problems we’ve faced from the pandemic and other problems. Tourism is one of the bright sectors of our economy. She’s focused on sustainable tourism. She’s done quite a bit in terms of sustainable tourism. In fact, (she) has even worked on digital transformation just to enhance the tourism experience both for local and foreign tourists,” Representative Daza said.

“So having said that, Mr. Speaker, I would like to urge my colleagues in the majority to consider maybe even augmenting the budget of the Department of Tourism, and should they do that, the minority members will gladly support them, should they do that,” he added.

There being no other interpellators, the session ended 30 minutes after it opened.

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PHOTOS:

Isabela 6th district Representative Faustino “Inno” Dy, V during the 2025 Plenary Budget Hearing at the House of Representatives where he sponsored the Department of Tourism’s budget.

Officials and employees of the Department of Tourism (DOT) led by Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco attend the 2025 Plenary Budget Hearing at the House of Representatives on Tuesday (September 17).