#DOT Calabarzon

[carlocarrasco]

Flavors of NCR 2024 was a blast of delicacies, discoveries and fun

Recently Muntinlupa City hosted the 2024 edition of the Flavors of NCR food festival at the Filinvest City Central Park in Alabang and I personally witnessed the formal opening ceremony which involved many high-level officials and special guests. A lot of people visited the food festival on April 19 and 20 which added to the credibility of Filinvest City Central Park as a suitable open-air venue…

[digitalfilipina]

MPT South partnered with DOT Calabarzon and DILG to launch Biyaheng South Experiential Tour

MPT South partnered with DOT Calabarzon and DILG to launch Biyaheng South Experiential Tour

Metro Pacific Tollways South (MPT South), in partnership with the Department of Tourism CALABARZON (DOT Calabarzon) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government Region 4-A (DILG IV-A), joins the celebration of the National Tourism Month this September 2022 thru “Biyaheng South” Experiential Tour.  Co-presented by Millennial Resorts Corporation and with sponsors GAC Motor Philippines…

[phgq]

Tourism corridor eyed to link Calabarzon destinations

#PHnews: Tourism corridor eyed to link Calabarzon destinations

MANILA – A tourism initiative called the Green Corridor will soon link several destinations in Region-4A (Calabarzon) under the new normal, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said Wednesday.

In a press conference from Rizal province, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the department fully supports the initiative and vowed to extend support through online marketing campaigns as well as providing capacity-building training for tourism stakeholders.

Starting with Rizal, Romulo-Puyat said the Green Corridor Initiative could interlink several towns in the safety of a travel bubble.

"Rizal is blessed to have many open air, nature, culture-based tourism products and it has been proven that as long as open air and protocols are in place, we can restart tourism," she told reporters.

Romulo-Puyat said destinations in Rizal correspond with the travel preferences of tourists amid the pandemic, which include places that are near the metro and with more open spaces.

“Through the Green Corridor Initiative, the City of Antipolo and the Municipalities of Angono, Taytay, and Cainta are interlinked in the safety of a travel bubble, furthering the DOT’s commitment to promote the province as a fun, sustainable and safe destination,” she said.

At the same time, she said the DOT will strictly monitor the compliance of all accredited tourism establishments with the Department of Health public health standards as well as the DOT health and safety guidelines.

“With several ongoing initiatives to spur tourism, we have to ensure that there are adequate accredited establishments to serve and accommodate visitors," she said.

As of Feb. 28, there are about 95 accredited accommodation establishments in Region-4A, nine of which are from Rizal.

Tourism infrastructure projects have also been in the pipeline to provide better access roads to sites such as the Bunsuran Falls and Mystical Cave, both in Antipolo. (PNA)

  ***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "Tourism corridor eyed to link Calabarzon destinations." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1133188 (accessed March 11, 2021 at 12:04AM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "Tourism corridor eyed to link Calabarzon destinations." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1133188 (archived).

[munibulogs-blog]

Biographical Data

       The intern was Jose Manuel J. Ambita and have so many things to do but neither lazy nor Hardworking but diligent when it comes to work, he have a family with stable income and have a family that so supportive to him but no achievement in school. Elementary and High School graduate.

 Acknowledgement

       Thank you for the people who contributed to the internship because of them we have now work experience and for the people in the department that given us some work and experience that are unforgettable.

 Introduction

An internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a limited period of time. Once confined to medical graduates, the term is now used for a wide range of placements in businesses, non-profit organizations and government agencies. They are typically undertaken by students and graduates looking to gain relevant skills and experience in a particular field. Employers benefit from these placements because they often recruit employees from their best interns, who have known capabilities, thus saving time and money in the long run. Internships are usually arranged by third-party organizations which recruit interns on behalf of industry groups. Rules vary from country to country about when interns should be regarded as employees. The system can be open to exploitation by unscrupulous employers.

Internships for professional careers are similar in some ways, but not as rigorous as apprenticeships for professions, trade, and vocational jobs. The lack of standardization and oversight leaves the term "internship" open to broad interpretation. Interns may be high school students, college and university students, or post-graduate adults. These positions may be paid or unpaid and are temporary.

 Typically, an internship consists of an exchange of services for experience between the intern and the organization. Internships are used to determine if the intern still has an interest in that field after the real-life experience. In addition, an internship can be used to create a professional network that can assist with letters of recommendation or lead to future employment opportunities. The benefit of bringing an intern into full-time employment is that they are already familiar with the company, their position, and they typically need little to no training. Internships provide current college students the ability to participate in a field of their choice to receive hands on learning about a particular future career, preparing them for full-time work following graduation.

 Internship was a way to carefully understand the student of how the job it works in their place, to experience the difficulties of having a job, to train your-self as how the job works, and in order to gain work experience as a student.

Internship was designed as guide for you on how you will interact with other people on the job, how you will manage your own work using your own strategy, and how you will manage your time that are consumed by doing some work, this will be the stepping stone for you when you got a job in the future.

The students was assigned to their designated work place and have their schedule that given by the coordinator to them.

Linkage Institution

General Mariano Alvarez, the newest town of Cavite is formerly a part of the Municipality of Carmona. This new Municipality was named after General Mariano Alvarez, one of the foremost sons of Cavite, in the town of Noveleta during the revolution.  It is previously called Carmona Resettlement Project.  This project started in March 1968 because of the need to clear Quezon Memorial Park in Diliman, Quezon City of squatter’s shanties and other illegal constructions situated in it.  The People’s Home site and Housing Corporation (PHHC) prepared the basic development concepts with the National Planning Commission (NPC) and the Department of Health (DOH).  The group prescribed a minimum size of 12 x 12 or 144 square meters per relocated family.

 VISION

A Municipality of diverse but unified, empowered and God-Loving People, enjoying the blessings of progressive economy with balance environment, under a firm and transparent leadership, recognizes as a commercial and agro-industrial haven in CALABARZON.

 MISSION

To serve, sustain, protect and provide GMAians a safe drug free community, effective programs on health, environment, education, housing, employment, agriculture, commerce and industry through skills, development trainings, infrastructure and strict implementation of laws.

 PERFORMANCE PLEDGE

Giving you effective plans and Programs that promotes social health, environment, education, housing, employment, agriculture, commerce and industry for the benefit of GMAnians;

Maintaining that all frontline service providers are courteous, approachable, polite and happy in serving each client;

Achieving the highest service performance and client satisfaction in delivery of frontline services offered by line and staff offices;

 CORE VALUES STATEMENT

"Competence, Professionalism, Diversity towards Service Excellence"

 MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE, FUNCTIONS, RESPONSIBILITIES

Social Services

Timely Registration of Civil     Registry Documents (Birth/ Marriage/ Death)

Delayed Registration of Civil     Registry Documents (Birth/ Marriage/ Death)

Issuance of Certified True     Copies of Civil Registry Documents (Birth, Marriage, and Death)

Request for Authenticated Civil     Registry Documents (BREQS)

Application for Legitimation

Applicaiton of Out-Of-Town     Registration of Birth

Application for use of Surname     of the Father / Affidavit to use surname of the Father (AUSF)

Application for Adoption /     Registration of Annulment of Marriage

Request for Indorsement of     Civil Registry Documents

Issuance of Certification (No     Record/ On Process)

Request for Correction of     Clerical Error/ Change of Firstname / Change of Firstname (RA 9048 &     RA 10172)

Registration of Certificate of     Foundling

Application for Marriage     License

Endorsement of Supplemental     Report

Burial Contract

Mayors Permit

Financial Assistance

PhilHealth Endorsement

Other Endorsement

Solemnization of Civil Wedding

Special Mayors Permit

Public Employment

Dog Registration and     Vaccination

Vegetable Seeds Dispersal

Swine Dispersal

E-governance

Business Permit

Certificate of No Business

Business Closure

Real Property Certificate

Cedula

Official Receipt

Real Property Tax

Tax Clearance

Traceback Real Property

Simple Transfer RP

Issuance of Building Permit

Electrical Permit Private and     Public

Environmental Permit

Health Services

Out-Patient Consultation

Prenatal Checkup

Postnatal Checkup

Woman who about to give birth

Family Planning

TB DOTS Clinic

Direct Sputum Smear Microscopy

PPD Skin Testing

Animal Bite Treatment Center

Expanded Program on     Immunization

Issuance of Health Card /     Sanitary Permit

Laboratory Services

Medical Certificate /     Medicolegal Certificate

Dental Services

[treasuresunlimited]

"all is calm all is bright" #goodmorning #14daystoChristmas #dot #tpb #regionalbranding #treasuresunlimited #calabarzon #tourismph #comehomecalabarzon (at Luxent Hotel) https://www.instagram.com/p/BrQ3XfKlyUZ/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=hzh1di3bpuqq

[worldnewsph]

Tourism stakeholders form crisis management plan

Tourism stakeholders form crisis management plan

CALAMBA CITY, Laguna, October 2 (PIA)– The Department of Tourism Region 4A (DOT) took a meaningful step towards a more inclusive crisis management for tourism in the Calabarzon region through organizing the Regional Tourism Crisis Management Symposium held last month.

Stakeholders from the public and private sectors, National Government Agencies (NGAs), and media industry, among others, converged…

[touristspotsfinder]

Top 10 Tourist Spots in Rizal

Top 10 Tourist Spots in Rizal

Rizal is a province in the Philippines situated in CALABARZON Region in Luzon dotted with beautiful man-made and natural tourist spots. Rich in history and culture, it is famous for its museums and heritage churches. Being a mountainous province, its waterfalls, caves, and resorts are favorite destinations among locals and tourists.

Rizal is just around 16 kilometers away from the busy streets of…

[phgq]

DOT bats for more 'fun, safe, sustainable' Laguna

#PHnews: DOT bats for more 'fun, safe, sustainable' Laguna

SAN PABLO, Laguna – The Department of Tourism (DOT) has pledged to continuously promote Laguna as a fun, safe, and sustainable tourist destination with the help of the province’s local government units (LGUs) and private sector.

“I like to say that tourism is everybody’s business, as all sectors of society reap benefits when tourism thrives in a responsible and sustainable manner. For this reason, I would like to thank the provincial and local government units of Laguna, as well as our tourism industry stakeholders, for your steadfast cooperation and collaboration in these efforts to restart tourism,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said Tuesday.

Puyat was in San Pablo, Laguna to spearhead the hybrid press conference and industry stakeholders’ meeting with Laguna 3rd District representative and chairman of the House of Representatives’ tourism committee Sol Aragones, Governor Ramil Hernandez, San Pablo City Mayor Loreto Amante, and other provincial leaders.

She said the areas of collaboration include the support to the flagship domestic tourism program of the DOT 4A (Calabarzon) called the GREEN Corridor Initiative; product development and enhancement centered on farm, culinary, ecotourism, nature, and adventure; new normal marketing campaigns; provision of capacity building programs; and the strict implementation of minimum health and safety protocols.

“This flagship domestic tourism program aims to spur the recovery and transition of the Laguna Tourism Cluster into the new normal. Upon its launch in April, it will include the city of San Pablo and the municipalities of Liliw, Rizal, and Nagcarlan,” Puyat said.

She added that through its regional office, the DOT continues to conduct on-site inspections of accommodation establishments to ensure strict compliance with DOT health and safety guidelines.

As of January 28, a total of 1,489 accommodation establishments were given the green light to operate in the region, 871 of which are in Laguna.

Anchored on the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act or Bayanihan 2, the DOT extended its commitment to support the affected tourism workers under the Cash Assistance Program, in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

As of January 31, DOT-4A has endorsed 596 tourism enterprises, tour guide associations, and community-based tourism associations to avail of the assistance.

Some 252 of these are in Laguna while 23,058 beneficiaries are targeted across the region.

So far, the DOLE-4A has approved 656 establishments, 435 of which directly applied at the regional labor office, while 221 were endorsed by the DOT-4A, the majority, or 160, of which are located in Laguna.

A total of 11,670 beneficiaries were paid a total of PHP58.35 million.

“Laguna’s tourism sector will play an important role in the growth of the Philippines’ tourism industry. Let us do our part to make tourism a cornerstone of the economy, a creator of jobs and livelihoods, and a source of national pride,” she said.

Meanwhile, the DOT-4A has also endorsed one tourism infrastructure project in Liliw for the construction of a Tourism Assistance Center and Green Restroom, and four in San Pablo, including the Doña Leonila Park Improvement and Rehabilitation; Sampaloc Lake Wharf and Floating Stage; Sampaloc Lake lamp posts and trash bins; and city heritage zone and historical sites.

The project is under the D.R.E.A.M.S. (Destination, Restoration, Eco-sustainability, Agri-tourism, Medical Assistance, and Security and Accessibility) thrust of its attached agency, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA).

In the same project, implemented tourism infrastructure include the Tourism Information Center and Tourist Rest Area (Green Restroom) in San Pablo in 2017; the Tourism Information Center and Tourist Rest Area (Green Restroom) in Rizal in 2018; the completion of the Tayak Adventure Park and Nature Park in Rizal in 2018; and the repair and improvement of Gat Tayaw Street by converting the asphalt road to red brick road in Liliw in 2019. (PR)

***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "DOT bats for more 'fun, safe, sustainable' Laguna." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1129381 (accessed February 03, 2021 at 10:42PM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "DOT bats for more 'fun, safe, sustainable' Laguna." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1129381 (archived).

[phgq]

Tough year for tourism: Exploring ways to restart, recover

#PHnews: Tough year for tourism: Exploring ways to restart, recover

MANILA – The year 2020 is unlike any other for the country's travel industry, which by yearend, often produce record-breaking figures on revenues and arrivals.

In January, the year started with Taal's eruption, forcing thousands of people to evacuate. At that time, it was the industry's biggest challenge as it affected hundreds of flights and compelled numerous tourism establishments in Calabarzon to suspend operations.

But the worst came the following weeks as the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) reached the Philippines and locally-transmitted cases surfaced.

On March 16, air travel was brought to a screeching halt where people had no choice but to stay home as the government placed Luzon under lockdown.

Michelle Taylan, president of the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA), said the crisis forced all of its members to temporarily close or scale down operations.

"Our member travel agencies have been forced to pivot to other businesses to tide them over. Airlines have suffered heavy losses. Hotels were used as quarantine facilities. Tourism was at a standstill," she said in an email to the Philippine News Agency.

Amid the uncertainties this year, Taylan said the PTAA looks forward to 2021 with "a lot of optimism".

"We will still stage our annual Travel Tour Expo and International Travel Trade Expo. They will be springboards as we assist in the revival of Philippine tourism," she shared.

"We will also hold talks with other stakeholders in the tourism industry and will come out with a united front in our pursuit to further open tourism in the country," she added.

From January to November 2020, the country's tourism receipts fell by 81 percent to PHP81.05 billion, a significant drop from PHP437.9 billion in the same period in 2019.

International arrivals also dropped by 82.4 percent to 1.3 million compared to the 7.4 million recorded from January to November in 2019.

But while the coronavirus pandemic has grounded most tourism activities, the sector continues to explore ways to restart and offset the crisis's impact on tourism.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) continued to engage with relevant agencies to craft health and safety protocols that could be used when travel gradually starts.

Since April, it has successfully organized a handful of online learning courses that aim to help local tourism players become more competitive, with new knowledge, technological advances, and ways to innovate and be able to cater to a new breed of travelers.

To adapt to the travel trends due to the pandemic, the Tourism Promotions Board also developed a strategic marketing program for the medium and long-term.

"The toughest challenge was the fact that we could not promote tourism destinations the way we used to simply because they were closed to tourists. Or that we could not even promote at all. This compelled us to creatively explore ways to keep the connection with our tourists, while at the same time, gradually assist our local government units (LGUs) and our stakeholders prepare for the new normal in travel," TPB chief Anthonette Velasco said.

'Domestic tourism'

Uncertain when the foreign market will come back, the DOT banked on domestic tourism to slowly revive the sector and capitalized on the low-hanging fruit within its borders -- the local travelers.

The DOT believed that by tapping into these short-haul markets through targeted marketing, the country can "bypass some of the considerable challenges" it faced following the pandemic.

It looked at introducing travel corridors or the so-called "travel bubble" to allow the reopening of Philippine destinations with zero coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases to foreign tourists from infection-free nations. By the second half of 2020, the DOT initiated talks with Australia, which at that time has touted a low to zero case count.

While this vision did not push through, a similar concept was applied domestically and piloted in El Nido, Palawan connecting resorts in the island to tourists from Metro Manila.

In June, the Philippines gradually reopened the world-class Boracay Island, initially to visitors within Aklan province, and eventually to other regions provided the traveler has been tested negative for Covid-19.

By the latter part of the year, several domestic destinations followed suit and started accepting visitors but with strict health and border control protocols, some with a test-before-travel requirement. Among these are Bohol, Batangas, Ilocos Region, Baguio, Siargao, and Palawan.

Last October, Bohol also hosted the hybrid Philippine Travel Exchange 2020, the first physical MICE event since the pandemic started. MICE stands for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions, an emerging niche market in the tourism industry before the health crisis.

Joel Pascual, president of the Philippine Association of Conventions, Exhibition Organizers & Suppliers Inc. (PACEOS), said 2020 was a "really terrible year" for all MICE stakeholders as all its planned events had to be postponed or canceled.

For most of the year, PACEOS lobbied for MICE to be separated from “mass gatherings” as the industry works in a controlled environment where there is clear accountability and where safety protocols are more effectively implemented.

"Towards the end of the year, some events have been approved on a national level but are still subject to the approval of the LGUs but there are still some confusions on implementation of such guidelines," he said.

Pascual said no events equates to zero revenue, which meant that MICE companies were merely trying to survive, trying to keep staff employed through the pandemic.

As the new year nears, Pascual hopes for more consultation between the government and the private sector while the pandemic is still a pervading issue.

"Our biggest hope is that we can build the confidence of government that the professional MICE sector is more than capable of adhering to safety protocols," he said. 

'Chinese retirees'

Aside from the pandemic, the DOT this year also focused on introducing reforms at the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) following a public backlash on its current policy that allows foreigners as young as 35 years old to retire in the Philippines.

Senators questioned if the PRA, an attached agency of the DOT, can ensure that young Chinese retirees are not working nor engaged in the operations of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO).

Based on PRA data, some 26,969 Chinese nationals have been allowed to retire in the Philippines, topping the list as of December 2019, followed by 13,912 Koreans; 5,951 Indians; 4,801 Taiwanese; and 3,950 Japanese.

There are a total of 14,987 active retirees or those who continue to keep the retirement visa as their status of stay in the Philippines with ages ranging from 34 to 49 years old. Of this number, more than 50 percent, or 8,130 of whom are Chinese nationals from mainland China, followed by the Koreans at 2,257 and Indians at 1,891.

Despite this calamitous year for the tourism industry, the Philippines carried on and has even bagged accolades that recognized the timeless beauty of its destinations.

The Philippines’ dive spots and the old walled city of Intramuros were hailed as this year's World's Leading Dive Destination and World's Leading Tourist Attraction, respectively, by the 2020 World Travel Awards (WTA).

This is the Philippines’ second time to win the world title for dive, besting eight different popular dive hubs, such as the Azores Islands, Bora Bora, French Polynesia, Cayman Islands, Fiji, Galapagos Islands, Great Barrier Reef in Australia, Maldives, and Mexico.

Meanwhile, it was Intramuros’s first time to win the World's Leading Tourist Attraction, beating 15 different attractions, such as the Acropolis of Greece, Burj Khalifa of Dubai, the Grand Canyon National Park of the US, Mount Kilimanjaro of Tanzania, and Taj Mahal of India. Albeit virtually, the Philippines remained on the world's radar.

'Recovery'

Earlier, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said international travel might not happen soon amid the existing travel restrictions of other countries, especially now that a new strain of SARS-CoV-2 is spreading fast in the United Kingdom.

"Our (focus) is still domestic tourism. Domestic tourism is 10.8 percent in the 12.7 percent contribution of the tourism industry to the country's GDP that's why we will strengthen this," she told reporters on Dec. 28.

Physical distancing and health protocols had been the most associated words to the "new normal". And in the years beyond, this is likely to stay as safety becomes the traveler's paramount concern.

Puyat is optimistic that DOT's partnerships with public hospitals, such as the Philippine General Hospital and the Philippine Children's Medical Center, would help transcend the prohibitive barrier of testing requirements for travelers.

"Working hand in hand not only with our tourism stakeholders and LGU, but also with government health facilities ensures that success of safety protocols will strengthen our collective efforts to gradually and safely reopen domestic tourism," she said.

Basing on previous major viral epidemics, experts earlier said the average recovery time for visitor numbers to a destination was 19 months.

The worldwide economic impact of H1N1 was estimated at up to USD55 billion, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

A similar economic crisis affected China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Canada after the 2003 SARS outbreak impacted the global travel and tourism sector by around USD30 billion and USD50 billion.

But for a global health crisis that has lasted for almost a year now, how can the industry today regain its momentum and recover?

For the WTTC, governments must coordinate to provide certainty for travelers with regards to travel restrictions and policies.

In a December 21 statement, Gloria Guevara, WTTC President, and CEO, said: “If a comprehensive and quick turnaround testing regime were in place at airports across the country to test all travelers before they depart, it would ensure only those infected with Covid-19 are isolated and are prevented from traveling. There would be no need for countries to introduce damaging and counterproductive wholesale bans on UK travelers." (PNA)

***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "Tough year for tourism: Exploring ways to restart, recover." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1125790 (accessed December 29, 2020 at 01:30AM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "Tough year for tourism: Exploring ways to restart, recover." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1125790 (archived).

[phgq]

DOT vows promotion of Batangas dive tourism

#PHnews: DOT vows promotion of Batangas dive tourism

MANILA – Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat on Wednesday vowed to support the continued development of dive tourism in Anilao, Batangas, otherwise known as the birthplace of scuba diving in the Philippines.

During the stakeholders meeting hosted by Mabini Mayor Noel Luistro, Romulo-Puyat encouraged the dive establishment operators, to "strictly uphold" health and safety protocols as well as to work together to improve the readiness of their area for dive tourism during the quarantine period and onwards to the new normal.

“The Department is hard at work not only for the slow but sure reopening of our destinations but also on the persistent but guarded development of the dive tourism industry,” she said.

While Batangas has been opened for divers since October 2020, Romulo-Puyat said challenges remain, including the non-compliance of some dive establishments on the minimum health and safety guidelines, the low revenue and high unemployment rates, the lack of trained medical personnel to operate the hyperbaric chamber, the need for installation and maintenance of mooring buoys to protect dive sites, and the high cost of Covid-19 tests, among others.

For its part, the Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving committed to continuing waiving the accreditation fees for dive establishments and professionals; conducting subsidized training; organizing events that will attract guests; providing either online or hybrid platforms for selling and promoting dive packages.

“We must continue to hold hands and use this period as an opportune time to reassess our programs, projects, and activities to make them more responsive to the needs of the dive tourism sector,” Romulo-Puyat said.

As of Dec. 5, the DOT Region 4A (Calabarzon) has issued 51 Provisional Certificates of Authority to Operate (PCAO) to dive establishments in Mabini, Batangas, 28 of which are PCSSD-accredited.

Anilao has more than 40 documented dive sites and serves as a playground to underwater macro photographers due to the notable presence of nudibranchs and other critters.

It consistently leads as a macro diving destination in several global surveys of world-renowned dive media such as Scuba Diving Magazine’s Readers Choice Awards and Sport Diver.

At present, only dive activities are allowed in Batangas as the province remains under general community quarantine wherein leisure travel is not yet allowed. (PNA)

***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "DOT vows promotion of Batangas dive tourism." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1124306 (accessed December 10, 2020 at 04:25PM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "DOT vows promotion of Batangas dive tourism." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1124306 (archived).

[phgq]

Rizal post-pandemic tourism banks on art, religion, and nature-DOT

#PHinfo: Rizal post-pandemic tourism banks on art, religion, and nature-DOT

CALAMBA CITY, Mar. 23 (PIA) - Tourism in the province of Rizal under the new normal will bank on its cultural landmarks, scenic views, and adrenaline-inducing nature activities, the Department of Tourism Region IV-A (DOT IV-A) reveals after making its final preparations for the CALABARZON Tourism Circuit launch. 

Regional Director Michael Palispis led the tourism circuit validation in Rizal province, together with representatives from the Department of Health, Philippine Information Agency, Rizal Travel Agencies Association, Inc., and local tourism officers, to assess the readiness of travel destinations included in the tourism circuit in accepting clients, as prescribed in the public health and safety protocols of the Inter Agency Task Force Against COVID-19. 

Regional Director Michael Palispis led the tourism circuit validation in Rizal province to assess the readiness of travel destinations included in the tourism circuit in accepting clients, as prescribed in the public health and safety protocols of the Inter Agency Task Force Against COVID-19. (photo courtesy of DMS)

“They have identified Faith, Fun, Adventure, and Nature for Rizal. That’s why we can see the destinations we have visited during the past few days puro outdoors and with a touch of arts and culture,” Palispis said of the tourism activities that will be highlighted in promoting tourism in Rizal province. 

Set to be marketed as the Faith, Fun, Adventure and Nature destination in the region, the DOT and DOH evaluated a diverse set of destinations, such as the Antipolo Cathedral, Antipolo Pasalubong Center, Hinulugang Taktak Falls, ATV Adventure Rizal, Flor’s Garden, Cloud 9 Sport and Leisure Hub, Christ the King Church in the Sky, Blanco Family Museum, Nemiranda Art Cafe, Pinto Art Museum, Angono street murals, and Taytay tiangge. 

“For Rizal Province, we have just conducted our final validation of the destinations included in the clusters. We have visited the city of Antipolo, Angono, Taytay, and Cainta. So we had our validation in Angono which is the art capital of the Philippines and we visited several art galleries. Hopefully in the next few months we can lunch the cluster of Rizal,” Palispis said.

More commonly known as the Green Corridor Initiative, this flagship project of the DOT IV-A aims to safely reopen the region for tourism.

Under the new normal, the Green Corridor Initiative plays a vital role in maintaining regional diversity, improving environmental quality, offering economic opportunities as well as protecting heritage and culture in the region. 

Together with the DOH, Tourism Promotions Board, Office of Product and Market Development, local tourism officers and stakeholders, DOT IV-A previously visited Laguna province to determine the readiness of its local destinations in safely reopening for tourists as a post-pandemic effort in revitalizing the tourism industry. (PB) 

***

References:

* Philippine Information Agency. "Rizal post-pandemic tourism banks on art, religion, and nature-DOT." Philippine Information Agency. https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1070327 (accessed March 23, 2021 at 03:55PM UTC+08).

* Philippine Infornation Agency. "Rizal post-pandemic tourism banks on art, religion, and nature-DOT." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1070327 (archived).

[phgq]

DOT assists Rizal stakeholders, boosts local tourism

#PHinfo: DOT assists Rizal stakeholders, boosts local tourism

Local tourism stakeholder representatives of Rizal Province receive DOT-DOLE Bayanihan 2 Cash Assistance from Department of Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat at Loreland Farm Resort, Antipolo City, Rizal. (GG/PIA-Rizal)

ANTIPOLO CITY, Rizal, March 11 (PIA)--Department of Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat turns over the national government's assistance to stakeholder representatives in Rizal heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic at Loreland Farm Resort, Antipolo City.

Local tourism sector representatives from the Angono Artists' Association, Gaselle Travel and Tours (Cainta), Local Marching Bands Association (Binangonan), Samahang Nagkakaisa para sa Kaunlaran ng Myseoul Tiangge (Taytay) and Pasalubong Vendors Association (Antipolo City) benefit from the grant given received help from the DOT-DOLE Bayanihan Cash Assistance Program.

According to Sec. Romulo-Puyat, a total of P 3.1 billion has been allotted for DOT-accredited and LGU-accredited tourism sites. Recently, the assistance may also be extended to other sectors which have also been heavily affected by the pandemic such as tricycle drivers and vendors.

"They thought that this is only for employees but this is open to anybody who has been affected by the stoppage of tourism," remarks Sec. Romulo-Puyat.

DOT also held a simultaneous online and onsite press conference headed by Sec. Romulo-Puyat directly after the ceremonial turnover together with other local officials.

  Green Corridor Initiative & Rizal Tourism

In line with the gradual reopening of tourism in Rizal, DOT CALABARZON headed by Director Palispis spearheads the Green Corridor Initiative (GCI) which encourages locals to visit the province particularly Antipolo Cainta, Taytay and Angono through the proposed tourism circuit called Rizal Faith, Food, Art, Adventure and Nature (FFAAN).

During the press conference headed by Sec. Romulo-Puyat, she stated that Rizal has always been favored as a tourist destination due to its proximity to Metro Manila and its accessibility for land travelers.

Sec. Romulo-Puyat added that the agency conducted recent tourism surveys which indicate that most people are prefer closer proximity, land travel and open-air spaces all of which apply to the Rizal province.

Rizal is also the top contributor in 2020 for overnight tourism in the region and has generated 36 percent in terms of tourist arrivals for the entire CALABARZON region with a total of 395,364.

The province is also the top contributor for same-day tourism arrivals with 7,200,454 or 60 percent of the region's total arrivals.

"Rizal is blessed to have many open-air, nature, open-space and culture-based sites and it has been proven that as long as it is open-air, well-ventilated and we are following safety protocols we can restart tourism," remarks Sec. Romulo-Puyat.

  Safe reopening of tourism

According to Sec. Romulo-Puyat there are currently 108 accredited tourism establishments in Rizal and 30 in Antipolo City compliant to standards.

In line with this, the DOT Regional Office continuously conducts physical inspections and monitoring in all open establishments to ensure compliance.

According to, Rizal 1st District Representative Michael John "Jack" Duavit, the provincial, city and municipal governments as well as stakeholders have also proven their readiness for reopening of the tourism sector.

"The reason why we are not requiring testing is the readiness factor," Rep. Duavit states.

Rep. Duavit adds that that COVID-safety is a personal responsibility and the people in the province in Rizal are compliant in health standards in keeping themselves and potential tourists safe.

"If you would go around Rizal you will see almost 100% of the time people are wearing their masks and face shields."

Also present during the event are Antipolo 1st District Provincial Board Member Roberto Andres Puno Jr., Antipolo City 2nd District Provincial Board Member Alexander Marquez, Antipolo 2nd District Representative Resurreccion Acop, Rizal Tourism Officer Corazon Laserna, Antipolo City Tourism Officer Marino Bacani and Antipolo City Councilor Agnes Oldan. (GG/PIA-Rizal)

***

References:

* Philippine Information Agency. "DOT assists Rizal stakeholders, boosts local tourism." Philippine Information Agency. https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1069219 (accessed March 11, 2021 at 09:51AM UTC+08).

* Philippine Infornation Agency. "DOT assists Rizal stakeholders, boosts local tourism." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1069219 (archived).

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DOT bats for local tourism as ‘new normal’

#PHinfo: DOT bats for local tourism as ‘new normal’

CALAMBA CITY, Feb. 4 (PIA) - Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat recognized the role of Laguna province in rebooting the region’s tourism industry amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In a recent meeting with tourism stakeholders in the province, Romulo-Puyat acknowledged Laguna’s contribution in national tourism as with the second highest arrivals and pulling in  207,000 tourists. 

“I would like to thank the provincial and local government units of Laguna, as well as our tourism stakeholders, for your steadfast cooperation and collaboration in these efforts to restart tourism.” the Tourism Secretary said. 

In a bid to promote local tourism, the Department of Tourism Region IV-A (CALABARZON) collaborated with various local government units in the region to support their flagship program called the GREEN Corridor Initiative, which promotes product development focused on farm, culinary and ecotourism under the new normal, all the while strictly observing minimum health and safety protocols. 

“This flagship domestic tourism program aims to spur the recovery of the Laguna Tourism Cluster into the new normal,” Puyat said. 

Through the regional tourism office, the DOT will continue to conduct on-site inspections of accommodation establishments to ensure strict compliance to the guidelines set by the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF). 

Meanwhile, Laguna Governor Ramil Hernandez assured stakeholders of the local government’s continuous support in the safe reopening of tourism in the region. 

“Even before the pandemic, confident ako na naipapatupad ng maayos ang mga health protocol.” Hernandez said, highlighting the provincial government’s standing order to authorities to exercise maximum tolerance when enforcing quarantine protocols.

House Committee Chairperson on Tourism and Laguna Third District Rep. Sol Aragones also rehashed the importance of promoting local tourism, which provided ample livelihood to her district. 

“[Let us] promote domestic tourism. Kapag maayos ang turismo sa isang bayan, magiging maayos ang kabuhayan ng mga mamamayan.” Aragones said. (with reports from PNA)

***

References:

* Philippine Information Agency. "DOT bats for local tourism as ‘new normal’." Philippine Information Agency. https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1065875 (accessed February 04, 2021 at 10:41AM UTC+08).

* Philippine Infornation Agency. "DOT bats for local tourism as ‘new normal’." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1065875 (archived).

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DOT CALABARZON eyes launching of safe tourism circuits in 2021

#PHinfo: DOT CALABARZON eyes launching of safe tourism circuits in 2021

Calamba City, Laguna, Dec 17 (PIA)—The Department of Tourism Region IV-A is set to launch tourism circuits in Batangas and Laguna early next year under ‘The Green Corridor Initiative’ program in light of the reopening of tourism industry in the Calabarzon region under the new normal.

DOT IV-A Regional Director Michael Palispis said the traveling public may soon experience safe travel in the Buhay Laguna Tourism Circuit which features attractions and destinations in San Pablo City, Liliw, Nagcarlan, and Rizal.

The DOT IV-A will also offer tour packages within the Batangas Bayside Tourism Circuit showcasing safe tourism destinations in San Juan, Taal, Calatagan, and Nasugbu.

The regional tourism chief said the clustered tourism destinations were developed in coordination with the provincial and local tourism officers.

“Ginawa natin itong mga travel bubble o clustering ng mga destinations to ensure that under the new normal tourism, pagbalik ng sigla ng turismo, makakasigurado tayo na safe ang mga turistaang pupunta sa mga destinasyong ito,” Dir. Palispis said.

He added that the DOT IV-A is the first tourism regional office to roll out the initiative as part of its response and recovery program which mainly seeks to rebuild the tourism industry in the region—one of the hardest-hit industries due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

RD Palispis led the assessment of the identified tourist attractions and sites in Laguna and Batangas towns from December 14 to 17 to assess its viability and readiness in accepting visitors. The assessment also targets to ensure that the identified sites implement safety health protocols pursuant to the guidelines issued by the Department of Health.

“We will do everything na kapag binuksan natin ang turismo, safe ang turista and most importantly, safe ang community,” the regional chief tourism said. “This is a very challenging time for the tourism industry but with the help of everyone, kayang-kaya po natin ito,” Dir. Palispis added.

Local officials, tourist destination owners and operators welcomed the initiative of DOT IV-A emphasizing that this would greatly contribute in the recovery of tourism industry and affected stakeholders in their localities.

The DOT IV-A is also eyeing to explore similar corridors and tourism circuits in other parts of Calabarzon beginning January next year to be promoted under its Green Corridor Initiative.

***

References:

* Philippine Information Agency. "DOT CALABARZON eyes launching of safe tourism circuits in 2021." Philippine Information Agency. https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1061943 (accessed December 17, 2020 at 11:32AM UTC+08).

* Philippine Infornation Agency. "DOT CALABARZON eyes launching of safe tourism circuits in 2021." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1061943 (archived).

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Infanta resort, hotel owners to incorporate agri activities for added income & tourist attraction

#PHinfo: Infanta resort, hotel owners to incorporate agri activities for added income & tourist attraction

INFANTA, Quezon, Oct 16 (PIA)  --About 15 owners of Department of Tourism (DOT)-accredited resorts, hotels, apartelles and tourism sites in this municipality completed the two-day “Training on Organic Vegetable Production and Container Gardening Batch 1.”   The activity is a collaborative extension project of ATI Calabarzon with LGU Infanta, Quezon, participated by owners of Department of Tourism (DOT)-accredited businesses where operations were greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.   The training takes part as a rehabilitation and recovery project (Agri-Cool-Turismo) for the tourism accommodation establishments and sites in Infanta, Quezon that aims to provide assistance by incorporating agricultural activities such as establishing organic or backyard farms, mini herbal and vegetable garden that may also become supplementary livelihood, source of income and tourist attraction.   Mr. Angelo Jhon Aquino, Agricultural Extension Worker of the Municipal Agriculture Office of Infanta served as Resource Person during the training. Topics discussed include, principles and practice of organic vegetable production, Vermicomposting, container gardening practices and hands-on demonstration in preparation of various natural concoctions.   Municipal Agriculturist, Ms. Eda M. Mendoza and Tourism Officer II Ms. Ma. Sierra Cecilia Penamante graced the opening program and showed their support to the activity and the project.   Likewise, Ms. Marites Piamonte-Cosico, Center Director of ATI Calabarzon congratulated the participants in completing the training. She also hope that the knowledge and skills gained, and the starter kits provided to them aid in successful recovery from the effects of the pandemic and contribute to food security in their community. (PIA-4A with report from Vira Elyssa Jamolin, ATI CALABARZON)     Agricultural Training Institute – Region IV-A. Brgy. Lapidario, Trece Martires City, Cavite

Email: atirtc4a@gmail.com ¤ Trunkline: (046) 419-0210 ¤ Telefax: (046) 419-0210

Website: www.ati.da.gov.ph/ati-4a/    Facebook: ATICalabarzon   Twitter: @aticalabarzon   Instagram: @aticalabarzon

      For additional information on Resort, hotel owners to incorporate agri activities for added income and tourist attraction, kindly contact Ms. Jamila Monette B. Balmeo (09055131772), or you may call office landline (046 419 0210).

***

References:

* Philippine Information Agency. "Infanta resort, hotel owners to incorporate agri activities for added income & tourist attraction." Philippine Information Agency. https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1056085 (accessed October 16, 2020 at 11:10AM UTC+08).

* Philippine Infornation Agency. "Infanta resort, hotel owners to incorporate agri activities for added income & tourist attraction." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1056085 (archived).

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106 local tourists remain in Region 8 amid crisis

#PHnews: 106 local tourists remain in Region 8 amid crisis

TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Tourism regional office has documented 106 remaining stranded domestic tourists needing to be repatriated to their respective provinces.

These tourists have been staying in different towns of the region after local government units closed the borders and canceled trips since mid-March over fear of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infection.

Of the 106 stranded local tourists, 38 are from Central Visayas, 26 from the National Capital Region, 16 from Calabarzon, 13 from Western Visayas, eight from Central Luzon, two each from Northern Mindanao and Caraga, and one from Soccsksargen.

“Some domestic tourists have to stay in the region due to lack of documents. Some didn’t want to take a bus ride and they will just wait for the resumption of airline operations,” said DOT Eastern Visayas Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes in an interview Thursday.

The DOT, a member of the Regional Task Force on Covid-19, is the co-chair and the coordinator for locally stranded individuals (LSIs) headed by the Department of Interior and Local Government.

The tourism department is tasked to provide LSIs with proper information on the process of going back home.

The Office of Civil Defense and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) take charge of the transportation of stranded individuals back home.

The LSIs have to notify village officials if they want to go home. His or her details will be recorded and will be provided with the required medical clearance.

They will have to go to the local police station to apply for a travel authority with their medical clearance as supporting documents. Their application will be sent to the police regional office for the issuance of travel authority.

The concerned village will then endorse the LSI to the regional task force for appropriate action and in collaboration with the LTFRB, they will find the appropriate transportation to bring them home either on an individual basis or by a group.

On May 22, some 86 domestic tourists were sent home to Luzon by the DOT with the help of the Leyte provincial government, LTFRB, An Waray Party-list, and the Philippine National Police.

Aside from LSIs, the DOT in the region also assisted 82 foreign tourists through a sweeper flight of Philippine Airline which as arranged by the US Embassy on May 26. (PNA)

  ***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. " 106 local tourists remain in Region 8 amid crisis." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1104158 (accessed May 28, 2020 at 11:28PM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. " 106 local tourists remain in Region 8 amid crisis." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1104158 (archived).