Gov. Gwen Garcia to President Marcos Jr.: Cebu one with you

CEBU, Philippines — Governor Gwendolyn Garcia yesterday assured President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. Cebu’s full support for an “extraordinary unity” with him.

She said that while people may fail to hold on to the concept of unity, but on the island of Cebu, political leaders unite for the betterment of the province/

“Too often we dream of unity, we speak of unity, and yet somehow we fail to achieve it; but not so in this beautiful, charming Island of Cebu,” she said in her speech at the opening ceremony of the 36th Joint Meeting of the United Nations Tourism Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and the UN Tourism Commission for South Asia.

This has been tested in2022, when political leaders and people of Cebu united to support President Marcos' alliances for the UNITEAM campaign.

“May I now say that the unity that we proved in that historic year and historic election of 2022 is now stronger than ever right here on this island of Cebu,” Garcia said.

“There’s an extraordinary unity that has been the impetus for this island Province to soar to great heights of progress and development,” she added.

Garcia said that in the 2022 elections, Cebu’s dominant One Cebu Party, which she leads, threw its support behind then presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos after Marcos’ call for unity resonated with the party’s principle of a strong and united Cebu.

“The unity that we proved in that historic election of 2022 is now stronger than ever right here in this island of Cebu. And as we did in 2022, Mr. President, we stand firmly behind you in full support of the man who called for unity,” said Garcia.

President Marcos Jr. was the guest of honor of the opening ceremony of the 36th Joint Meeting of the UN Tourism Commission led by the Department of Tourism (DOT).

In his speech, the president said that he was delighted that education and product development through green transformation in tourism are discussed in the UN joint meeting.

“Indeed, education is always going to make any industry better and certainly tourism is no different,” he said.

The president also emphasized the need of raising the standards and practices in tourism through investing in education, training, and skills to all the working personnel of the industry.

“We will require experts and professionals from different fields to come [in] and help to make tourism a meaningful, and educational, and impactful experience not only for our tourists but also for our stakeholders,” he said.

The president was also joined by Special Assistant to the President Anton Lagdameo Jr., UNTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, Cebu 5th district Congressman and Deputy Speaker Duke Frasco, and Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco.

In addition, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan, Acting Cebu City Mayor Raymond Garcia, and Lone District of Lapu-Lapu Congresswoman Cindi Chan were also in attendance.

In her speech, Frasco said that the meeting is part of the thrust of the Marcos administration to make the country into a tourism powerhouse in Asia.

“This was articulated as a strategic goal from the very beginning to showcase the country’s natural beauty, its cultural riches, and economic potential to the world,” she said.

Meanwhile, Pololikashvili expressed that this event guarantees investments and international partnerships, adding that they had a wonderful three-day experience in Cebu.

The 36th CAP-CSA meeting brought together delegates from UN tourism member states, and various organizations in talk for the UN Tourism Program for 2024 to 2025 and to address issues pertinent to the Asia-Pacific region.

The event aims to promote sustainable gastronomy tourism while preserving local traditions and natural resources.

For the first time, the United Nations Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Asia was held in Cebu, which showcased the experience of culinary and cultural treasures as well as local industries and heritage sites in the province.

Also in his speech, the president pushed for education and sustainability in tourism to uplift the lives of the community.

To elevate the quality and skills in this industry, President Marcos mentioned the need to invest in education and training for the people working in tourism.

“We will require experts and professionals from different fields to come and help to make tourism a meaningful, educational, and impactful experience not only for our tourists but also for our stakeholders,” he said.

Moreover, he explained the importance of such investment as tourism significantly contributes to the economy.

In a recent survey by the Philippine Statistics Authority, the industry contributed 8.6 percent to the economy in 2023, resulting in the surge of the sector's value to P2.09 trillion.

Furthermore, President Marcos highlighted the need to adopt a “go green transformation” of tourism products and services to address climate change, resource preservation, and long-term sustainability.

“For what good will any tourism effort be if it ends up destroying the local culture and ecology,” he said.

He added that it also includes measures to ease visa access, enhance water sanitation and healthcare facilities in tourist destinations, and improve connectivity hubs such as airports.(CEBU NEWS)