Govt sees tourist influx with developments in
tourism, aviation sectors
Malacanang expects tourist arrivals to surge
with the recent development in the country’s aviation and tourism sectors.
Interviewed over state-run dzRB Radyo ng Bayan
Saturday, Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the signing of
the law exempting foreign air and shipping carriers from paying the common
carriers tax would be a boost to the country’s tourism industry.
This is in addition to the travel and tourism
competiveness report of the World Economic Forum ranking the Philippines from
92 to 94 and then to 82, Valte said.
The International Civil Aviation Organization’s
(ICAO) validating mission also lifted significant safety concerns in the
Philippine commercial aviation industry.
Explaining the government’s position on the tax
exemptions of international carriers from paying the common carriers tax, Valte
said the government earns less than one percent of the nation’s budget from the
revenues collected from this tax.
“But on the other hand, because you have given
the international carriers exemption, then when we forego that particular
portion of revenue, which is less than one percent of the budget anyway,
magkakaroon ng multiplier effect; kasi ma-i-encourage sila lumipad dito sa
ating bansa so that means more flights, it means more tourists will be coming
in,” she said.
More tourists arriving the country is a way of
creating jobs for Filipinos, she added.
“Alam naman natin that the tourism industry is
one of our drivers. Patuloy ang pagdating ng mga turista dito at nagkakaroon ng
multiplier effect sa job generation natin.”
Following ICAO’s positive assessment on the
Philippine aviation industry, Valte said the Civil Aviation Authority of the
Philippines (CAAP) has been continuously working with the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) and the European Union to remove the country from the
blacklist.
If the CAAP succeeded in delisting the country
from Category 2 status, Philippine carriers could start direct flights to US
and European destinations, she said.
To prepare the country for the influx of more
tourists, the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) continues
to rehabilitate old airports or construct new airports, Valte said.
The Aquino administration targets to achieve 10
million tourist arrivals by 2016. Last year, the Department of Tourism launched
the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign slogan to attract more tourists
to come to the country. PND (as)
Appointing women in government empowers them,
Palace says
As the country observes the International
Women’s Month, the Palace said it hopes President Benigno S. Aquino III’s
appointment of women in key positions in government would empower Filipino
women and make them role models worthy of emulation.
In a radio interview Saturday over dzRb Radyo ng
Bayan, Deputy Presidential spokesperson cited several studies that found more
and more Filipino women are now holding positions of responsibility and
authority in the society.
This is contrary to some observations saying
Filipino women are being abused and that there is a need for them to be more
assertive of their rights.
When President Aquino took office in the 2010,
Valte said more Filipino women were given positions of responsibility and
authority in the government.
Among them include Ombudsman Conchita
Carpio-Morales, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Supreme Court Chief Justice
Maria Lourdes Sereno, and Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares,
she noted.
“Umaasa din tayo that this will also serve as a
model for other women to also fight for their empowerment,” she said. “Kasi
kahit sa private sector, lumalabas that there are more women in the board room.
Marami nang mga nagiging babaeng CEO [chief executive officer]. We hope that
this trend continues,” continued Valte.
Responding to the criticism of a women’s
advocacy group that said Filipino women haven’t benefited from economic growth
in the country, Valte said more women have been receiving assistance from the
government’s conditional cash transfer (CCT) program.
“Mas magandang makausap natin ang mga nanay na
kasama sa Pantawid Pamilya Program, dahil ang mga nanay ang mga nagtataguyod sa
kanilang mga pamilya,” she said.
Housewives are the ones giving positive
feedbacks on the benefits of the CCT on their families, Valte added. PND (as)
