CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) — To strengthen the tourism industry in northern Mindanao, the Department of Tourism (DOT)-10 has partnered with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-10 through the convergence program known as the Tourism Road Infrastructure Program (TRIP).
The program places an emphasis on the country’s tourism road infrastructure. The program aims to improve tourism roads to ensure the safety and seamless movement of visitors within and across tourism development areas. This effort supports the goals and targets of the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) and the Philippine Tourism Development Plan.
“Through the Tourism Road Infrastructure Project Convergence in partnership with the DPWH, DOT-10 was able to implement 170 road projects with a collective length of 210.05 kilometers worth P6 million from 2016 to 2024,” said DOT-10 Regional Director Marie Elaine Unchuan.
After the pandemic, the tourism department innovated its development approaches to adapt to the new normal, resulting in a significant increase in tourist arrivals. The region saw 2.5 million tourists visit northern Mindanao during the year, representing a 56.29 percent increase.
Unchuan further shared that DOT Sec. Christina Frasco focuses not only on increasing tourist arrivals, but also on improving tourism infrastructure and accessibility. This aligns with directives from President Ferdinand Marcos to enhance the country’s tourism infrastructure and the overall tourist experience.
With the realization of TRIP, tourists can now easily access various tourism sites in the region, which also led to the establishment of the circuit tour program by DOT. This initiative aims to enhance the overall tourist experience, open up destinations, and provide opportunities for local government units (LGUs) and communities.
“From 2019 to the present, we have been actively developing products, creating over 10 inter- and intra-regional tour circuits. These circuits are actively run and sold by our tour operators as part of their tourism offerings for the Philippines,” Unchuan said.
To promote the tourism circuit in the region, DOT-10 participated in the tourism secretary’s flagship program, the Philippine Experience Program. This featured circuit included destinations in Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro, and Bukidnon. A total of 108 delegates, including Frasco, attended the three-day tour, which showcased the diverse offerings of two provinces and three cities. Participants included members of the Diplomatic Corps of Austria, Malaysia, and Finland, tour operator associations, tourism stakeholders, influencers, media, and government officials.
Currently, DOT-10 offers various tour circuits such as agri-cultural tourism and nature circuit, green adventure loop, farm and aqua tourism, eco-cultural tourism and historical block, faith tourism-faith heritage and nature destination highway, and historical trail.
DOT-10 assures its stakeholders, including local and foreign tourists, as well as the public, that they will continue to monitor and evaluate tourism development efforts to ensure alignment with their sustainability, inclusivity, and economic growth goals. Their upcoming events and initiatives for 2024 promise to elevate northern Mindanao’s tourism industry to greater heights, benefiting the communities and enhancing the country’s development through a sustainable tourism industry. (JAKA/PIA-10)
