DOT backs move for long weekends to supercharge domestic travel

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco, shown here during a House hearing on Oct. 6, 2022, on the 2023 budget of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and its attached agencies and corporations. (File photo from the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco on Thursday backed a proposal to extend holidays and weekends.

Senator Raffy Tulfo filed Senate Bill No. 1651, seeking to extend weekends to promote the growth of local tourism.

READ: Tulfo bill wants to amend holiday economics law to allow long weekends  

“In terms of giving persons and their families opportunities to spend time with each other to explore other parts of our country, definitely increasing the number of long weekends greatly helps domestic tourism,” said Frasco in an interview on ANC.

According to Frasco, tourism is vital for recovering the economy following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I do understand that there is a need to balance economics with leisure tourism. In the end, however, we also have to examine the employment and livelihood benefits that encouraging domestic tourism can bring,” said Frasco.

While Frasco did not explicitly back Tulfo’s bill, she also mentioned that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had already added long weekends to help encourage travel.

READ: Marcos approves more long weekends  

“During the pandemic we saw how much domestic tourism contributed to our economies in the provinces and the regions and therefore we are in full support of the existing long weekends,” said Frasco.

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JPV/abc