LIST: Areas where the ‘nationwide shopping sale’ in March will be held
MANILA, Philippines— The Department of Tourism on Wednesday announced that the country’s nationwide month-long shopping sale — “The 2020 Philippine Shopping Festival” — will begin on March 1.
The agency and its partner malls and associations said that the country's first shopping festival will run from March 1 to 31 in the following areas:
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Metro Manila
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Agusan Del Norte
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Antique
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Bacolod
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Baguio
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Bataan
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Bicol
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Bukidnon
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Bulacan
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Butuan City
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Cagayan De Oro
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Cagayan Valley
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CALABARZON
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Camarines Sur
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Capiz
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Cebu
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Davao
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Ilocos Norte
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Iloilo
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Lanao Del Norte
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Legazpi City in Albay
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Leyte
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Misamis Oriental
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Negros Occidental
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Negros Oriental
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Nueva Ecija
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Palawan
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Pampanga
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Pangasinan
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South Cotabato (General Santos City),
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Zambales (Olongapo City).
The following malls, business associations and airlines are participating in the shopping festival:
Malls
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Araneta Group
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Ayala Land Malls, Inc.
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Duty Free Philippine Corporation
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Filinvest Land Inc.
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Greenfield Development Corporation
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Vista Malls
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Megaworld Corporation
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Ortigas Land
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Power Plant Mall
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Robinsons Land Corporation
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Rustan Commercial Corporation
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Shangri-La Plaza Corporation
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SM Supermalls, and Stores Specialists, Inc.
Associations
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Hotel Sales and Marketing Association
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Philippine Franchise Association
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Philippine Owners Association Inc.
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Philippine Retailers Association
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Philippine Tour Operators Association
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Philippine Travel Agencies Association
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Tourism Congress of the Philippines.
Airlines
Philippine Airlines
Cebu Pacific Air
Air Asia
Air Carriers Association of the Philippines
Malling is more fun in the Philippines
The DOT earlier said the shopping sale is eyed to lure foreign and local tourists amid the threats to tourism such as the coronavirus outbreak and the Taal Volcano eruption.
The tourism agency, however, said it has been planned prior to these events.
It aims to position the country as “a destination where shopping is fun, unique, and affordable.”
In 2018, it conducted a visitor sample survey that revealed that “shopping is the most common tourist activity in the country with 38% of tourists favoring it, followed by sightseeing at 30.5%.
“It’s not hard to see that elevating the shopping experience will go a long way to enhance the attractiveness of our tourist destinations all over the Philippines, whether it is our big cities or in our beautiful provinces,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said when she announced the partnership with malls and associations.
“We’ve recognized this in the National Tourism Development Plan of 2016-2022, where leisure, entertainment and shopping tourism is one of the 10 products we want to further develop in the next few years,” she added.
In May last year, the DOT also launched the “Malling is More Fun in the Philippines” in collaboration with mall giant SM Supermalls.
Philippine-made products, tour discounts
During the shopping fest, foreign and local tourists can expect discounts of from 15% up to 70% on Philippine-made products, including food and dining, jewelry and fashion, crafts, furniture and decor as well as beauty and wellness products.
“Buying local helps support our craftsmen and artisans, as well as their communities; more importantly, it helps preserve our culture, traditions, and Filipino way of life,” Puyat said.
Aside from Philippine-made products, the tourism sector would also offer affordable airfares and cheaper hotel accommodations for the promotion period to spur domestic tourism.
Puyat invited all tourists to “Be Part of the Fun” by supporting the 2020 Philippine Shopping Festival.
She announced that the official hashtag for the event is #FunFinds2020.
Nationwide sale eyed to be annual event
As the sale kicks off next month, the tourism chief is hopeful that it would become a yearly event featured on the nation’s event calendar.
“This ambitious project, designed to increase tourism expenditure in the country, would not have been possible without the full support and cooperation of the nation’s mall operators, retailers, franchise holders, hotel and tour operators, and travel agencies,” Puyat said.
Jojo Garcia, general manager of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, earlier said the traffic authority was not consulted for the conduct of event but expressed support as long as the organizers would provide them schedule and guidelines for the festival.
Meanwhile, Puyat confirmed that the president would be going around the major islands in the country including, but not limited to Boracay, Bohol, and Cebu to show tourists and locals alike that it is safe to travel around the Philippines amid various threats.
The president last week released a video urging Filipinos to “travel with him” around the country.
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