MANILA, Philippines - Tourism Secretary Alberto Aldaba Lim lamented yesterday that some sectors in the tourism industry have been spreading disinformation about the industry, in general, and the Tourism Congress, in particular.
Lim was reacting to a statement by Alma Rita Jimenez, president of the present Tourism Congress, who was quoed as saying that the problems in the tourism sector could easily be resolved if only Lim would “respect the law” by recognizing the present composition of the Tourism Congress and working with it.
Lim explained that it was the House committee on tourism itself that asked that the Tourism Congress be revamped as it considers the IRR that created it as not in accordance with the spirit and intent of the law.
This was validated by the committee chairman, Rep. Florencio T. Miraflores from Aklan, “The committee fully supports the secretary’s action of amending the IRR in order to conform with the intent and wordings of the law. This will necessarily affect the existence and membership of the present Tourism Congress. This may be the reason for the recent unreasonable attacks against Secretary Lim and his programs.”
Miraflores added that the committee reiterated the powers of the secretary to amend the IRR of the Tourism Act of 2009, and has in fact, urged him to do so during their last public hearing.
The Aklan representative commended Lim for taking firm action in resolving the problems the DOT chief inherited when he assumed the position last year with regard to the questioned legitimacy of the Tourism Congress and the challenged IRR of R.A. 9593 and the division this has created among legitimate tourism stakeholders.
Jimenez also claimed that they did everything to reach out to Lim to little avail and that the secretary ignored them.
The tourism chief said that the statement of Alma Jimenez is not true. “I presented the accomplishments and plans of the DOT during the Tourism Congress Assembly last November 26. In the development of the National Tourism Development Plan, we held several consultations with private sector associations, most of whom were members of the Tourism Congress. The Tourism Congress is a member of the Tourism Coordinating Council (TCC). Alma Jimenez herself attended two of the three TCC meetings, with Jaime Cura attending the third and most recent,” Lim said.
He added, “What is wrong with what the Department of Tourism’s efforts to give accredited primary and secondary tourism establishments direct membership in the Tourism Congress? As it is now, only tourism associations are members of the Tourism Congress and many stakeholders have been disenfranchised. We want to give the individual establishments a direct voice, as what the Tourism Act of 2009 calls for.”
It will be recalled that only about 50 people representing associations were present when the Tourism Congress was convened last Nov. 25, 2009 compared to over 1,000 accredited tourism enterprises that were supposed to compose the congress as mandated by the Tourism Act of 2009.
Lim further explained that they consulted over 1,000 tourism stakeholders in 16 regions throughout the country and that the Tourism Congress represents a small but vocal minority in the industry.
“Nevertheless, all my public statements have been to presume regularity (i.e. that the Tourism Congress is legitimate) in spite of the fact that the majority in the industry claim they are illegitimate because the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) that formed them is not consistent with RA 9593. I have recognized their nominees to the TIEZA. They blame me for removing their other nominees to TIEZA and TPB who were midnight appointees and were disqualified as a result of E.O. 2,” said Lim.