TOURISM Secretary Christina Frasco has been in the radar of social media comments in the last fortnight for the magazine covers here and abroad that featured her face instead of our beautiful tourist spots. Sen. Raffy Tulfo even skewered her in a Senate hearing last week. But instead of answering in a clear and logical way, as befits her training as a lawyer, Frasco said there was no need for her to publicize herself since she is not running for national office.
That was not the point, of course, of the withering commentary in social media. She will not run for national office because, like her mother before her, she would not win as a senator. But she would most certainly run for a local post in Cebu, whether as mayor or congresswoman. She and her husband, Duke Frasco, have been taking turns having each other elected as either mayor or congressperson of that part of Cebu.
Instead of spending money putting her face on magazine covers, one doable thing Frasco can do is clean up the stinky toilets in our tourist spots. Our country is blessed with many natural attractions that Singapore does not have that the latter has to foist manmade waterfalls and gardens in the sky on its visiting tourists.
The Department of Tourism could have a clean-up campaign of the toilets in our tourist spots. Aside from that, in many other public transport facilities across the country, inadequate washrooms remain a problem. These include seaports, smaller airports and road transport terminals.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board said that it has summoned 57 operators of terminals for passenger buses and other public utility vehicles over their dilapidated facilities, including toilets and waiting areas. The officials received complaints about mass transportation terminals that lacked working washrooms, while others charged fees for toilet use. Several terminals also lacked facilities for persons with disabilities and senior citizens.
The LTFRB stressed that it is not demanding high-end transport terminals, but only compliance with basic requirements for decent mass transport operations, including cleanliness, safety and a modicum of comfort for passengers while waiting for a ride.
Filipinos call washrooms comfort rooms. But across the country, even in several top travel destinations, public toilet facilities are sources of discomfort. There is no toilet paper and water for handwashing or even flushing. The facilities are filthy.
Modern public washrooms are available mainly in shopping malls, major fast-food chains and dining areas and certain gas stations. There are many areas in the country, however, without these commercial establishments, and where even dining areas lack decent washrooms.
We can certainly learn from the template that Thailand has for its robust tourism industry. It has a strong, cohesive national brand (Amazing Thailand) with consistent storytelling across regions. It also has a centralized destination management approach via the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and provincially coordinated tourism offices. There is clear segmentation (heritage/culture, beach, adventure, wellness, food) and cross-promotional campaigns.
The Philippines can strengthen a unified national tourism brand that reflects the country’s diverse regions. Let’s go back to “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” as a slogan and brand. We also need to create a regional destination development plan tied to a shared brand, with localities coordinating under national guidelines.
Moreover, Thailand’s visa policies and entry requirements are designed to encourage longer stays and repeat visits (e.g., visa-on-arrival for many nationals; tourist visa waivers during peak periods; simplified entry for regional travelers). There is also a strong collaboration with airlines and airports to streamline connectivity (regional hubs, domestic flights, low-cost carriers). New hotels have to be built, and the old ones renovated. We also need better roads to link the highways to our tourist spots.
Our airfares and hotels are some of the most expensive in the region. Our government tourism agencies also need to form a group chat to know what each agency is doing, and where they can collaborate. We also need to improve air connectivity by opening new routes to lesser-known destinations and optimize domestic flight schedules to reduce transfer times between major hubs (Manila, Cebu, Davao, Clark) and key islands. We also need digitalization, data-driven planning and marketing: visitor profiling, spend patterns, seasonality and feedback loops to adjust campaigns.
Finally, we need a new Tourism secretary who does not think of her face as a beauty spot, or her presence as a tourist destination. Narcissism has no place in marketing the Philippines.