MANILA, (PIA) — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday inaugurated the Pagudpud Tourist Rest Area (TRA) at Saud Beach, calling it a key initiative in transforming the Philippines into a tourism powerhouse in Asia.
“These Tourism Rest Areas are an important initiative for us,” the President said during the ceremony.
“We are in a very steep competition” in the tourism industry, he acknowledged. Marcos emphasized the nationwide scope of the TRA program. “Do not think that this is the only one that is going to be built,” he said.
“These tourist rest areas will be built in very, very many parts of the country,” he added.
Marcos framed the TRA program as part of a “whole-of-government approach” that also involves the private sector and other stakeholders.
“These facilities will provide basic tourist services, amenities, such as a tourism center, to help our tourists navigate the beautiful sites that we are offering,” he explained.
“We provide clean restrooms, charging stations, a lounge for our travelers to rest and recharge while they are going around,” he said.
The Pagudpud TRA aligns with the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) mission to enhance the Philippine tourism industry.
It is the ninth such facility completed and handed over to the local government unit (LGU). Notably, it is the first TRA inaugurated in mainland Luzon and the first in Northern Luzon. (AVS/PIA-NCR)
