Philippine tourism in budget row

MANILA: Philippine tourism secretary Richard Gordon is haggling with the Arroyo Government to cough up additional funding for the task of repairing the country's devastated tourism image. Gordon wants the Government to take his agency's promotional budget from US$600,000 to $20 million this year. The amount is still relatively small - just 28 per cent of the $70 million that rival destinations Malaysia and Singapore each spend in a year. Gordon described the Philippine's budget as a pittance. Last year, while the Philippines attracted only 1.8 million visitors and another 400,000 'balikbayans' or returning Filipinos, Malaysia received 12 million visitors, Indonesia six million and Vietnam's more than two million arrivals. "We used to be Asia's No. 1; now we are Asia's used-to-be," said Gordon. As a result of the political instability surrounding the trial of deposed former president Joseph Estrada and the kidnapping of tourists at a popular resort, he said he doubted if the country would hit its two million target this year. However, if the extra funding is forthcoming, Gordon is hopeful of increasing tourist numbers to three million by 2003. Part of his plan is to outsource advertising and PR functions to the private sector. At the moment, the Philippine Information Agency handles all advertising. Gordon hopes to raise funds by privatising some of the Government's tourist facilities, including the Luneta Boardwalk Project in Manila.

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