CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) — The Regional Statistics Committee (RSC) of the Regional Development Council (RDC)-X has approved and endorsed the formation of a Technical Working Group (TWG) for the compilation of the Regional Tourism Satellite Accounts (RTSA). This important move comes as the region takes significant steps toward better understanding and measuring the economic contributions of tourism to its local economy.
According to Cristine T. Gallopin, Senior Statistical Specialist at the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-X, the RTSA will offer a comprehensive set of data that facilitates the analysis of tourism within the context of macroeconomic accounts.
“The RTSA presents the supply and use of tourism goods and services, tracks the output of tourism industries, and compares it with the consumption expenditures of tourists. It also provides non-monetary indicators, such as tourist arrivals, length of stay, employment, types of accommodation, and transportation modes,” Gallopin explained during the RSC-X quarterly meeting on January 17, 2025.
Gallopin emphasized the need to establish the TWG to ensure proper data support from various agencies and facilitate the accounting of tourism statistics.
The TWG will be chaired by PSA-X, with the Department of Tourism (DOT)-10, serving as co-chair. Its members will include key regional and national agencies such as the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)-X, Bureau of Immigration-X, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-X, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), and. Philippine Ports Authority (PPA). The Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City Tourism Offices and the Provincial Tourism Offices from Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, and Misamis Oriental will also be part of the TWG.
The TWGS primary role is to support PSA-X in regional tourism satellite accounting by providing data, technical assistance, resolving data gaps, and addressing challenges in tourism statistics.
Gallopin also highlighted that the PSA began its pilot initiative to estimate tourism satellite accounts at the regional level in 2022, with three pilot regions involved. The initiative expanded to include three more regions in 2023 and another four in 2024. The goal is for all remaining regions to complete their respective RTSA by the end of 2025.
Mylah Faye Aurora B. Cariño, Chairperson of the RSC-X and Regional Director of NEDA-X, noted that the RTSA is a maiden initiative for the region – one that will play a key role in shaping the Regional Tourism Development Plan.
She also emphasized that tourism is one of the region’s key economic drivers, and Northern Mindanao is rapidly growing in importance. With the region’s status as a logistics and transportation hub, having solid data from the RTSA will provide clear baseline information for tourism to guide future policy development. (APB/PIA-10)
