Tourism stakeholders to support Lim's replacement

MANILA, Philippines - Tourism stakeholders from the private sector yesterday vowed their support to whoever will be appointed secretary of the Department of Tourism.

“We vow not only to work with the new DOT chief to be chosen by President Aquino but to work with other sectors of the tourism industry toward a common goal and for the common good,” said John Patrick Chan, president of the Philippine Hotel Federation Inc.

“We will trust and respect the decision of the President whomsoever he appoints,” added Ma. Belina Mariano, executive director of the Philippine Hotel Federation Inc.

Alejandra Clemente, chairperson of Rajah Tours Philippines Inc. and Rajah Travel Corp., however, appealed to Aquino not to appoint a politician in the DOT.

She said they are not endorsing anybody for the position but stressed that the number one contender for the post with a background in advertising has the edge.

“It (advertising background) can be a plus factor... what is the work to be done is how to do the marketing of the country effectively,” Clemente said.

Advertising executive Ramon Jimenez, who was part of Aquino’s presidential election campaign in 2010, is reportedly being considered for the position.

Other names being floated as possible replacement for Lim are former Akbayan congresswoman Riza Hontiveros-Baraquel and former Muntinlupa congressman Ruffy Biazon. Last May, the President seriously considered talent manager and TV host Boy Abunda to serve as DOT secretary.

Lim resigned last Friday, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family. His resignation will take effect on Aug. 31. 

Clemente also urged the next DOT chief to adopt the National Tourism Development Plan, which Lim initiated, and implement the amended implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Tourism Congress.

“Secretary Lim was on the right track. He started the National Tourism Development Plan, he laid the groundwork and so whoever will be appointed the secretary of tourism he can concentrate on overseeing that the tourism development plan will be in place,” Clemente said.

“It’s not just urban planning; it’s a total development,” said Clemente, a former president of the Federation of Tourism Industries of the Philippines.

Various groups also urged the next DOT secretary to convene the Tourism Congress this September as required by the Tourism Act of 2009.

The groups have questioned the composition of the Tourism Congress, which was formed during the term of former DOT chief Joseph Ace Durano.

Clemente said Durano convened the Tourism Congress without consulting the private sector.

“The biggest stakeholders are not members of the congress,” Clemente said.

She said the amended IRR was published last Aug. 11 in a major newspaper (not The STAR) and will be effective 30 days after its publication.

“It depends on the new secretary if the new IRR will be implemented,” she said, adding that under the law, the Tourism Congress must be convened every two years and a new set of officers must be elected.

“The composition itself of the Tourism Congress is very messy. We cannot move forward with a messy composition,” Mariano said.

Chan said a lot of the provisions of the Tourism Act have not yet been implemented, including the tax incentives that should be provided to investors.

“A lot of the provisions of the Tourism Act have not yet really been given like the incentives that are supposed to be available for the developers. It remains unclear how they will get that. My group alone is planning to build four or five more hotels alone but we really could not move forward,” he said.

Open skies policy

Clemente, meanwhile, told The STAR that pressure from groups opposing the government’s “pocket open skies policy” was the real reason behind Lim’s resignation.

Lim co-founded the Freedom to Fly Coalition, which advocated an open skies policy as a strategy to promote economic development.

Under his leadership, more budget airlines were allowed to fly to the Philippines and boost tourist numbers.

“I think it’s really protectionism on the part of some vested groups. He also committed the mistake of announcing the open skies policy. You now know who will be hit and who will be threatened,” Clemente said.

Clemente said the Philippines and Indonesia are the only members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) which have not yet ratified an open skies policy.

“There is an ASEAN agreement on open skies and there are only two countries, which have not ratified - the Philippines and Indonesia - because they are waiting for 2015... the immediate market is the ASEAN because of the travel time and all the airlines are converging in the ASEAN countries,” she said.

“This is what the national government should review and give importance,” she added.