Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco received the Philippine contingent to the 48th Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program (SSEAYP) selected by the National Youth Commission (NYC).
Frasco noted that the visit of Batch Hiraya to Japan, as well as to other neighboring ASEAN countries, is an opportune time to elevate the status of the Philippines not only in the area of tourism, but also in trade, investment, and foreign policies, among others.
“We have within us the heart to serve, to bring joy to everyone that we encounter.”
“The time has come for the Philippines to claim its rightful place for we possess the assets, we possess the people, and most importantly we have within us the heart to serve, to bring joy to everyone that we encounter and to exercise in everything that we do in whatever sector we’re in, the devotion to duty and dedication to serve, to always put others above oneself and this is what I see in the delegates of the SSEAYP,” the tourism chief said.
The tourism head also underscored the youth-related programs of the DOT on sustainable tourism, equitable tourism development, preservation of our destinations and digitalization for the benefit of the current and next generations.
“I’m speaking to the cream of the crop, the best of the best, and to those in whose hands the future of our country lies.”
“I understand that your having been chosen as a delegate has not come easy… It’s a very rigorous process, you have to go through a series of vetting, interviews and the like and so I know that I’m speaking to the cream of the crop, the best of the best, and to those in whose hands the future of our country lies,” she added.
During the cross-cultural exchange program, one national leader and 15 youth leaders from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao are expected to magnify the stories of hope of the Philippines, promote friendship and mutual understanding among the youth of Southeast Asia and Japan and maintain its vibrant bilateral relations within the region from November 4 to December 11, 2024.
Established in 1974, the SSEAYP program has been dedicated to promoting goodwill, friendship, and mutual understanding among the youth of Japan and the ten Southeast Asian countries.
The Secretary was joined by DOT officials Undersecretaries Verna Buensuceso, Ferdinand Jumapao, Assistant Secretary Ronald Conopio, Director Glenn Ocampo, NYC officials Chairperson and CEO Undersecretary Joseph Francisco Ortega, and Commissioner-At-Large Asec. Michelle Mae Gonzales.
