With 7,000 plus island in the Philippines, we are considered
as the one of the tourist spot in Asia because of what we can offer. This is a
fact and behind this success of being known are people and organization who
truly dedicate their time and effort in this advocacy. With this in mind, the
Department of Tourism (DOT) honors today the first batch of individuals who
have exemplified excellence and dedication in driving the Philippine tourism
industry forward, under the Tourism Star Philippines (TSP) program. The event
was held last February 12, 2015 at the Fairmont Hotel in Makati where media and
other guest grace the event.
The very first roster of Tourism Stars include Gerry Bie
Dalimag and Bobby Adrao for the Individual Category; Drew Arellano of Biyahe ni
Drew in GMA-7 and Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet for the Media Category; and
Governor Joey Salceda of Albay for the Local Chief Executive (LCE)
Category.
Dalimag, a college student who serves as a local volunteer guide around the famous Callao Caves in Cagayan. At a very young age, he has helped in boosting the province’s local tourism by taking his guiding responsibilities to heart, which earned him the respect and commendation from various people and even the media. Adrao, on the other hand, is a licensed Butanding interaction officer and a dive master in Donsol, Sorsogon. In addition to advocating safe and environment-friendly diving practices, Adrao represents a Filipino tourism frontliner who goes beyond the call of duty to save the lives of an Australian couple who went adrift in the rough seas while diving due to inclement weather.
Popular celebrity Arellano headlines a local TV show called Biyahe
ni Drew, which features fun travel adventures in different Philippine
destination every week. Known for his quirky and entertaining brand of hosting,
Arellano successfully embodies the “It’s more fun in the Philippines” concept.
Diaz, meanwhile, is the man behind Our Awesome Planet (https://www.ourawesomeplanet.com),
a top lifestyle blog that showcases the best of food and travel destinations in
the Philippines. Founded in 2005, it has generated thousands of followers and
readers that are able to share his experiences and discoveries in various
places in the country.
Governor Salceda, who is receiving the award in the LCE
category, led the Albay region’s phenomenal growth in tourism as it rose from
the ruins of disasters that stunted the province for decades. As former
economic adviser to previous presidents, Governor Salceda has successfully
implemented a comprehensive tourism work program in Albay, bringing to the fore
various regulations and investment projects to achieve significant tourism
development.
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“The Philippine tourism is undoubtedly the fastest growing industry in the country, taking on a significant role in our economy. We believe that we owe this tremendous growth to our people. Without them, our destinations would only be a mere landscape. It is our people that give these beautiful destinations life and meaning. And the Tourism Star Program honors these individuals who truly make it more fun in the Philippines,” DOT Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez, Jr. said.
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Anchored on DOT’s It’s more fun in the Philippines campaign,
the Tourism Star Philippines also marks a significant milestone for the agency,
as it is part of the full implementation of the National Tourism Development
Plan (NTDP) which leverages on public-private sector partnerships to improve
competitiveness of tourism facilities and services, capacitate local government
units, ensure sustainable tourism development and initiate focused marketing
and promotions.
Among the nominees received from February to June 2014, DOT
implemented a rigorous selection process for those who demonstrated the
strongest and deepest commitment to promote the country’s tourism in their own
ways. For the Individual Category, nominations were received through the
program website and through drop boxes located at domestic airport terminals
nationwide. Meanwhile, Local Tourism Councils nominated their mayors or governors
for the LCE Category by submitting the completely filled out nomination form
with the documentary requirements to concerned DOT Regional Offices.
Nominations for the Media Category, which was added two months after the
launch, were solicited from Tourism and Travel Associations nationwide.
After the screening process, a final evaluation was
conducted by the TSP Screening Committee composed of representatives from the
DOT’s Office of the Undersecretary for Tourism Regulation, Coordination, and
Resource Generation (TRCRG) and Office of Tourism Standards and Regulation
(OTSR), as well as the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), one of the
program’s institutional partners. All submitted documentary requirements were
validated through the help of the DOT Regional Offices and the local tourism
offices. For the LCE Category, documents were rated using the following
criteria: Institutional, promotions, planning and product development,
regulatory, investments, and centrepiece projects with additional points in
consideration of their support to DOT advocacies. Media nominees, on the other
hand, were chosen based on the votes they received through online voting;
content and substance and relevance of work to the Philippine tourism industry;
impact and significant contribution to the It’s More Fun in the Philippines
campaign; creativity and uniqueness of shows/ articles and information
presented.
Awardees of Tourism Stars Philippines will receive trophies
and medals, as well as gifts from program partners: a pre-loaded More Fun
Prepaid card from the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), scholarship from
the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), phones and
tablets from MyPhone, and a kabuhayan package from Duty Free Philippines (DFP).
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