OFFICIALS of Negros Occidental are banking on tourism to become a “major economic driver” of the province as its primary industry, which is sugar, is facing challenges.
At the Tourism Summit held at the Capitol Social Hall in Bacolod City Sunday, May 14, Interior Undersecretary Jesus Hinlo Jr. told local officials led by Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. to diversify to other industries to support the local economy especially if the national government can’t stop the “hemorrhage” in the sugar industry.
Negros Occidental, also known as the Sugar Bowl of the Philippines, is the country’s top sugar producer.
Last year, it launched the tourism tagline “Land of Sweet Surprises.”
Hinlo, a Negrense himself, said the province has “to prepare for the future and can’t be forever dependent on sugar.”
“We have to diversify because sugar is just one product. If we put all our eggs in one basket, and if that particular product will have low price, it will affect the whole province,” Hinlo stressed.
He said Negros Occidental has all the potentials, but needs infrastructure like hotels to attract more tourists.
Major economic driver
Former Negros Occidental Governor Rafael Coscolluela echoed the statement of Hinlo, saying that “we can’t promote Negros Occidental without infrastructures and facilities.”
Coscolluela, Capitol consultant on investment promotions, trade and export development coordination, emphasized that “tourism, given the challenges that the sugar industry is facing, will become a major economic driver in Negros Occidental.”
“Bacolod, as the entry point, must earn its reputation as the top model city, and the Tourism Development Master Plan must be learned by all the stakeholders and supported, especially by the local government units,” he added.
During the forum, the former governor also outlined the factors the local government officials should consider to have a successful tourism campaign.
These are strong competition, tourism friendliness, product development, environment management, workforce development, food production and development of local community.
Huge potential
Tourism Assistant Secretary Frederick Alegre assured the local officials that the Department of Tourism (DOT) will work closely with the provincial government to boost the province’s tourism campaign.
He noted that the potential of Negros Occidental to be the country’s top tourist destination is “huge,” adding that it is 99.9 percent.
The provincial government has to aggressively promote its tourism package, like Cebu, he said.
Alegre, who is married to a Negrense, said the DOT will take care of promoting the province in the national and international markets.
“We just need materials. There’s so much potential, but we need to be able to promote it properly,” he said.
In a speech, Alegre said the DOT is “working double” to make sure there are more air connections to Bacolod to make the local economy grow and to bring in more tourists.
He noted the recent hosting of Bacolod of one of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit meetings garnered positive feedback.
“They have one unanimous comment. They love Bacolod. They are happy, safe, and full,” adding that gastro-tourism is also important.
Alegre said the summit came at a most perfect time as the country’s tourism continues to be “robust and thriving.”
From 5.9 million international visitors in 2016, the DOT targets to attract 12 million by 2022, as well as generate domestic tourists from 68 million in 2015 to 89 million in 2022, he said.
“We can anticipate that more tourists from abroad will come here as the Philippines enjoys the positive image it is getting globally as a tourist destination,” he added.
For his part, Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. said that pushing ecotourism and sports tourism in a locality are among the ways to engage the community's involvement in tourism promotion.
He added that celebrating local festivals and fiestas is also a way to encourage Filipinos to go home and attract more tourists.
Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson was upbeat with the support of the National Government to the province’s tourism program.
“That is very inspiring for us. When you talk of tourism, you easily think about Cebu, and Panay because of Boracay,” he said, adding that the national government through the DOT is “more than willing to help us develop our tourism industry, which can really help our economy bring in revenues.”
He said tourist arrivals in the province reached 1.6 million in 2016 although more than 90 percent of them are local tourists.
Lacson said the challenge now for the local officials is how to market Negros Occidental in the international market.