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Government

DOT, DILG EYE COURTS FOR TOURIST-RELATED CRIMES

The critical tourist courts project is now in the pipeline as the chiefs of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) met recently at the DOT Central Office in Makati City to discuss the details of the proposed inter-agency collaboration.  “All of us were very happy about […]

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Politics

VAT REFUND FOR FOREIGN TOURISTS GETS SENATE OK

The Senate recently approved on third and final reading the proposed value-added tax (VAT) refund measure for non-resident tourists that would hopefully attract more tourists. With 20 affirmative votes, one negative vote and no abstention, Senate Bill No. (SBN) 2415 or An Act Creating a Vat Refund Mechanism for Non-Resident Tourists, adding a New Section […]

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Politics

DOT URGED: ATTRACT MORE CHINESE TOURISTS TO PH

Are tourists from mainland China finally starting to return to the Philippines in droves? Is China set to reclaim its spot as the second-biggest supplier of foreign visitors to the Philippines, after South Korea? Quezon City Representative Marvin Rillo, vice chairperson of the House committee on tourism, believes so. “The surge in Chinese tourist arrivals […]

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Politics

VAT REFUND FOR TOURISTS BILL GETS HOUSE PANEL OK

The House Committee on Ways and Means chaired by Albay 2nd District Representative Joey Sarte Salceda approved the unnumbered substitute bill to House Bill 7143, creating a mechanism through which non-resident tourists may refund their value-added tax (VAT). Salceda stressed that the measure is long overdue, noting that the Philippines is the only country in […]

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Politics

BAGUIO TO STRICTLY ENFORCE ANTI-LITTERING LAW

Tourists going to Baguio City should be mindful of the trash they will throw. The city will be strictly implementing the Environment Code and other related laws including the Anti-Littering ordinance. “The parking personnel will serve as an augmentation force to the Baguio City Police Office and the Public Order and Safety Division in monitoring […]

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Politics

SADAGA RELAXES ENTRY RULES FOR TOURISTS

The municipal government of Sagada in Mountain Province continues to get rid of rules that make visits to the town difficult and expensive for tourists. “We are amending and trying to regulate (the) rates of accommodation packages, including tour guide rates and ratios, so that they become less expensive and a burden even to ordinary […]

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Government

DOT TO ACTIVATE HOTLINE FOR TOURISTS – FRASCO

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is planning to put up a tourism hotline that both local and foreign travelers can use when traveling around the Philippines. During the launch of the Travel Tour Expo 2023, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco disclosed that the “tourist assistance call center” could be launched by the end of the year. […]

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Government

NO PRE-DEPARTURE RT-PCR TEST FOR VAXXED TOURISTS

The Philippine government will no longer require a pre-departure COVID-19 test for incoming fully vaccinated passengers as part of its measures to revive the pandemic-hit economy. Following the recommendations made by the Department of Tourism (DOT) as a means to further ease the travel requirements and encourage more tourists to visit the country, the Inter-Agency […]

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Government

ROMULO-PUYAT TO DOH: MAKE RT-PCR TESTS AFFORDABLE

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has urged health facilities to lower the cost of RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests to encourage more people to travel and hasten the recovery of the tourism industry from the pandemic. Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat noted that testing for COVID-19 remains expensive and out of reach of budget-conscious […]

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Government

DOT EYES MORE VISITORS FROM JAPAN – ROMULO-PUYAT

The Department of Tourism (DOT) continues its marketing and promotional efforts a month after reopening to international leisure travelers, this time setting its sights on potential visitors from a major source market- Japan. Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat led the Philippine delegation to Japan to engage with the latter’s tourism stakeholders and promote the country as […]