Spreading the wealth

In citing the economic value of tourism for the country,  Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr.  identified it as one of three engines of economic growth along with business process outsourcing and agriculture.

During the recent annual membership meeting of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) in the Visayas, Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras said tourism can generate jobs for areas that are at the bottom of the economic pyramid, where there is little or  no agricultural and industrial activities.

One such area is Cordova town in Mactan, an area that sits between the cities of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu. There were plans by boxing promoter Wakee Salud to set up a casino there to draw high-roller tourists similar to casino projects being set up in Luzon.

Like the rest of Metro Cebu, it is  being primed for tourism development by the national government. Coupled with ongoing business process outsourcing investments, Cebu island is headed for greater things.

But there are  obstacles along the way, not the least of which is the scourge of prostitution both traditional  and online. The problem is serious enough to attract the attention of US government authorities.

Scores of tourists visit Cebu with less than benevolent intentions in mind, such as aging pedophiles who start sponsoring the  education of minors  in exchange for the favor of  staying in their homes.

If these “tourists” don’t visit Cebu for prostitution dens, some enterprising low-income parents bring the flesh trade  to them through online pornography sites, collecting payment through online accounts.

While the Cebu provincial government has taken the lead in going after cybersex operators and prostitution rings that recruit in the towns, we hope to see the same vigilance among local government units (LGUs) in Lapu-Lapu City and Corodova whose recent projects are expected to draw more tourists to its shores.

Aside from infrastructure, tourism will also require better trained guides and transportation choices to and from destinations.

As President Benigno Aquino III said, tourism in the country should do more than count   the number of Korean students and visitors who get off a  plane, even if they comprise the largest market.

Tourism will be successful not only if we keep out the undesirables but also manage to generate employment and new, sustainable industries for Cebuanos and migrants who come looking for  better-paying jobs.

With a holistic approach,  tourism stakeholders can spread the wealth and bring  growth to the countryside, easing  population pressure  in urban centers and  sparing cities of squatters.

It’s not an easy target but it can be done. The next few years will see whether we can actually do it.