Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco

Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco has proposed the establishment of a new flagship project, the 24/7 tourist courts, to aid in the swift resolution of cases where tourists are involved.

According to the secretary, she proposed the matter during the recent sectoral meeting with President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. in Malacañang, where the President agreed that the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Department of Justice (DOJ), will work alongside the DOT to investigate and prosecute crimes related to tourists.

“We are now working with the DOJ, and we will be collaborating with the judiciary department for the establishment of a 24-hour tourist court for the resolution of crimes related to our tourists,” the Secretary said during a briefing for the proposed budget of the DOT for the 2025 fiscal year held at the House of Representatives in Quezon City, Tuesday (Aug. 20).

Secretary Frasco acknowledged that the Philippines still has room for improvement in tourism, assuring the body that the Department is doing its best to welcome more visitors, including lobbying for efforts to increase connectivity by expanding the country’s routes development system, notwithstanding all varied tourism offerings that are being offered and those that are yet to be developed for promotion.

The DOT is also beefing up police forces across strategic locations of the country, primarily in areas with a high concentration of tourists.

Over 8,000 police personnel under the Department’s Tourist Oriented Police for Community Order and Protection (TOPCOP) Program have already been trained, done in collaboration with the DILG and PNP. But with the need to intensify police visibility and security, the DOT has also trained 270 barangay tanod and barangay intelligence network as police multipliers at present.

“Being a [former] mayor nga po, alam natin na hindi naman enough yung number of police to the actual population, kaya naman po inexpand natin yung program na ito na isasali na natin sa training yung barangay tanod and barangay intelligence network multipliers in various areas in the country. And we are expanding this to various LGUs,” she added.

The tourism chief emphasized that the DOT is also working with the Department of National Defense (DND) to strengthen the strategic development of tourism, especially in key areas of the country.

“Overall, the effort is to build confidence in tourism for the Philippines,” the tourism chief said.

As for the tourist security concerns in Mindanao, the DOT signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the DND and DILG in May last year to open and promote the region as a peaceful and viable destination for all. The department secretaries have agreed to promote responsible tourism, preserve the diverse natural and cultural heritage, and create an inclusive environment that would further foster growth in Mindanao and the entire country under the current administration.

According to the tourism chief, this move from the DOT is crucial to create an environment that fosters equal tourism opportunities for all regions, especially in areas that may not have received equal opportunities in the past brought about by untoward incidents.

Several embassies have responded positively to the appeal of the DOT to downgrade their security advisories to their residents in the Philippines who have plans to visit the region.

As of August 19, 2024, the Philippines has registered a total of 3,860,730 international visitors who came into the country, of which 92.05 percent or 3,553,720 are foreigners, while the remaining 7.95 percent or 307,010 are overseas Filipinos.

The top 10 source markets are South Korea, the United States of America, Japan, China, Australia, Taiwan, Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Malaysia.