Lacson proposes tourism estates

Independent presidential bet Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson. | Contributed photo

MANILA, Philippines — Presidential aspirant Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday proposed to establish tourism estates in the country’s most beautiful tourist destinations, having seen most of them up close as he went around the country for his campaign sorties.

In a town hall-style meeting in Argao, Cebu, Lacson said an administration under him will use tourism estates to stimulate local economic development and help the tourism sector recover losses from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“If we have economic zones and industrial zones in the country, we should also have what we call tourism estate, which bring in focus on infrastructure projects going to the tourism estate,” he told residents of Argao and Dalaguete towns.

“Government should support the efforts of the tourism estate to promote our tourism industry. We have very beautiful islands in the Philippines—very, very beautiful. Comparable, if not surpassing, other islands [in Asia],” he said.

The presidential candidate lamented how the Philippines has been surpassed by other countries in tourist arrivals, supposedly because of the lack of government support, citing the situation of Jagna, Bohol, which has untapped tourism assets.

“We were shown the [island’s] highest peak and strawberry farm, as well as other tourism areas that can be developed. But because of lack of government support, meaning from the national government, it has not received much attention,” he said.

He said his proposed flagship program with Senate President Vicente Sotto III, the Budget Reform for Village Empowerment, or Brave, fits well into the thrust of developing tourism sites.

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