ShareThisCALAMBA CITY, Laguna – Expect Southern Tagalog, home of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal and vanguard of Philippine Independence, to bloom as a tourism, historical and cultural center.
This as the Department of Tourism (DOT) opened its Calabarzon regional office at this city’s bustling commercial district. The inauguration was led by Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim, Laguna Governor Jorge Estregan Ejercito, was represented by his wife, Pagsanjan Mayor Gerlie Javier-Ejercito, and Laguna Board Member (2nd District) Neil Andrew Nocon, Calamba City Mayor Joaquin Chipeco Jr., Mayors Arlene Arcillas-Nazareno of Sta. Rosa City; Edgardo Ramos of Pila and Calamba City Administrator Atty. Manuel Ladrido.
In his remarks at the inaugural rites, Lim said that the country’s tourist arrivals increased by 13% during the first quarter this year.
Lim said the country expects a record six million tourists by 2016. Last year, the country had more than three million tourists.
Lim enjoined the tourism industry sector, regional and local government executives and stakeholders from the Southern Tagalog region that the National Tourism Development Plan can double tourist arrivals to 6 million by 2016.
Secretary Lim expressed optimism that under the national development tourism plan, some P800 million has been earmarked for the development of domestic tourism. Tourist visitor arrival in 2009 was 3 million, he said.
DOT IV-A Chief Tourism Operations Officer Marites T. Castro said the DOT Regional Office in Southern Tagalog has ready facilities to inform and assist tourists and enhance promotional and marketing campaigns.
Southern Tagalog consists of the provinces of Laguna, Quezon, Cavite, Rizal and the sub-region called Mimaropa which includes the Mindoro provinces, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan, home of the world famous underground river and top attractions like Puerto Princesa, El Nido, and Coron.
The new office also offers accreditation facilities especially to local government units offering new tourist destinations and licensing for the tourism industry sector to meet the standards, rules and regulations pursuant to the National Tourism Policy (Republic Act 9593).
“The DOT regional center has also set up its tourism development planning office for site planning of new tourism sites especially on eco-tourism. This calls for sustainable tourism development for the prospective areas,” Castro said.
In line with President Benigno C. Aquino III’s public-private partnership program, the DOT Calabarzon Office will assist the capability building program of LGUs in the management of local tourism projects and initiatives.
The Philippines seized the Top 6 spot in the Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Best Value Destinations for 2011. With the country’s tourism boom of tourist arrival humming up a 13-percent growth by the first quarter of 2011, this impels new tourist destinations to be developed.
The DOT regional center can also assist partnerships, joint ventures and other cooperative undertakings involving local and foreign investors.
The DOT Calabarzon Regional Office is expected to boost tourism development in the Southern Tagalog region – a contiguous area that augurs well for the establishment of a Tourism Enterprise Zone (TEZ).
The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) shall designate TEZs, upon the recommendation of any Local Government Unit (LGU) or private entity, or through joint ventures between the public and the private sectors.
Calabarzon groups the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon which host world-class resorts, recreational and theme parks, tourism destinations and offer vast tourism potentials.
Laguna regional and provincial executives lauded the establishment of the DOT Southern Tagalog Regional Office.
Provincial Board Member Neil Andrew Nocon of the second district of Laguna described the opening of the office at a “historic gathering” will boost the province’s vast tourism potentials in eco-tourism and heritage as home to the famous Pagsanjan Falls and historical sites such as Calamba and Pila and six other heritage sites to be developed.
Nocon, who also chairs the Province’s Committee on Tourism, History, Culture and Arts, praised the DOT’s strategic role in helping Laguna achieved the 2 million mark in tourists arrival in Laguna, of which one million are tourists and visitors to the famous Enchanted Kingdom in Sta. Rosa City.
The development of the tourism industry in the province adds to Laguna’s rapid socio-economic growth and industrialization hosting 18 vast industrial parks. The sizable 1/3 of the country’s exports is contributed by Laguna.
Calamba City Administrator Atty. Manuel Ladrido welcomed DOT’s addition to the 22 regional government offices based in Calamba City as the bustling city “goes full blast with the development of the Regional Government Center of Calabarzon.”
Ladrido hailed the establishment of the DOT regional office in Calamba as “especially significant as our city expands our tourism and investment promotions program.”
Dubbed the “City of Growth, Leisure and National Pride”, Calamba City is the birthplace of National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal whose house now transformed into a National Treasure, Heritage Museum and Shrine as a major tourist destination.
President Aquino led the nation in the commemorative celebration of Rizal’s 150th Birth Anniversary last June 19 by unveiling the world’s tallest statue of Dr. Jose Rizal at 22 ft tall, making the site the newest tourist and historical landmark.