Tourism has long been the mythic solution to our economic issues. We remember writing about tourism during the early 1970s after Ferdinand Marcos proffered it as the cure for all our economic ills. In a column titled Image Problem in Tourism, we expressed our reservations then: “There is no doubt that tourism could be one of our major dollar-earning industries, but till the garbage and the peace and order situation remains as is, no kind of tourism program can succeed. We maintain that the problem at the moment is not how to get more tourists to visit Manila, but how to make the few who come enjoy their stay.”
The problem the Philippines has had in expanding our tourism trade is three fold: bad infrastructure, worse graft and corruption and an even worse international image in serious need of rehabilitation. The latest corruption scandal to grace our front pages is just another example. It has all of the hallmarks of a classic Philippine corruption case: vociferous recriminations, loud denials, grand statements, posturing and even an international element. The World Bank is aptly named and any negative report from them carries substantial weight: yet, their “motives” and aptitude is quickly questioned. We hope that the facts are discovered and not buried under noise. To improve our tourist trade, our infrastructure, peace and order and international image need to be rehabilitated.
Peace and order, graft and corruption and our international image are all inter-connected. An efficiently operated government means improved peace and order. Tourists and visitors should feel safe when they visit the Philippines. When they return to their home country and only have positive things to say about us, then our international perception will begin to improve. The less we are in the headlines with stories of extrajudicial killings, rampant corruption and failing social services, the more travelers we will attract. A simple equation that we fear may never be realized.
One of the major tools at the disposal of a government during a recessionary period is spending for infrastructure. Many of our infrastructure (roads, airports and so forth) are in a bad state and in serious need of upgrading. How can we sell the natural and man-made beauty of the Philippines when it is arduous to visit them? However, it is sad that foreign funding for infrastructure development is being withheld, pending the resolution of the current corruption scandal.
Another issue facing our tourism trade is the preservation and restoration of our heritage sites. If we had been told after World War II that Manila and Intramuros would still not have been rebuilt in the 21st century we would have said that you were crazy. Many of our heritage sites are either neglected or willfully desecrated by well-intentioned, but misguided, people. For example, we recently read that a church façade in Dingras, Ilocos Norte is scheduled to be torn down. In its place will be constructed a replica of the original. According to Augusto Villalon (who wrote the article) the façade is still strong and it is not necessary to tear it down. It has always been our assumption that an original is preferable to a cheap imitation. Which would you rather have, the Mona Lisa or a picture of the Mona Lisa? While this church façade may not have any national importance, it is an integral part of our religious history and definitely an integral part of Dingras’ past. No tourist would make a trip to visit the copy of a 300-year old façade. In destroying the façade, they may well be crippling their potential tourist opportunities.
The solution to our problems has been the same for decades: eliminate, or at the very least substantially reduce, graft and corruption in the Philippines. We wonder if this is actually possible? However, we also believe that there must be a concerted effort to preserve and properly restore our unique heritage resources. If we continue to allow them to deteriorate, be irrevocably changed or even destroyed, we are effectively curtailing some of our most potent tourism resources.