Duterte declares 4 new PH tourist destination sites

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has signed new laws that declare four sites in the Philippines as new tourist destinations.

Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11406 declaring Mount Bulaylay in Cuyapo Nueva Ecija as a tourist destination.

The President also signed Republic Act No. 11407 making the Candon City Ecotourism Zone in Ilocos Sur as a tourist destination. 

He also declared the Santiago Cove in Santiago, Ilocos Sur as a tourist destination through Republic Act No. 11408.

Republic Act No. 11409 also made in Santa Maria in Ilocos Sur a tourist destinations.

The new laws were all signed in August 22 but copies of the law were released to the media only on Thursday.

Under the new laws, the Department of Tourism, in coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways and other concerned government agencies, should “prepare a tourism development plan involving the construction, installation and maintenance of such appropriate facilities and infrastructure that will improve the overall feature” of the areas, to ensure “the accessibility and security of tourists.”

The new laws said “the development plan shall ensure the preservation and conservation of the historic significance of the area.”

The Tourism Secretary, the laws said, should include in the National Tourism Development Plan the tourism development plans for the said areas.

Funding for the implementation of the new law should be included in the annual General Appropriations Act and from internally generated funds of the Department of Tourism. /je