Is local tourism in Laguna struggling to reach its fullest potential because some agencies – particularly the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) – are not doing their job?
This agency is mandated to provide infrastructure support to, while facilitating investment in tourism. Serving this mandate, it is going around promoting Create Act of 2021.
Create means Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act. This law grants tax incentives to certain businesses to help recover from business reversals, leading to boost economic growth.
In the tourism sector, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) leads the campaign. About two weeks ago, last August 8, the agency invited select tourism operators in Laguna and local media personalities to a roadshow on Create.
Surprises
The first surprise in the program was the fact that about 90 percent of local travel operators were unaware of TIEZA’s existence even when the agency was created in 2009.
Not many knew that the government has an agency that builds infra support to attract tourism. They also did not know of a law that is Create that will relieve them of financial burdens in business.
The participants also did not know that an agency exists that is mandated to assist tourism investors connect with suitable partners to grow their investments.
The second surprise was the fact that the TIEZA leadership was hard put in explaining what they can do to grow local tourism in Laguna.
They were even tentative, at best, on explaining the impact of tourism on other local social and environmental requirements.
Asked on what they can offer to make sure the balance between economic interests on tourism and the welfare of the locals are in check, they pointed out that such an issue is a Local Government Unit concern.
“At the end of the day, the national government cannot impose on the local government. It is really the local government who takes the lead on the planning. What we do is provide technical assistance,” the Tieza said.
“We understand its (tourism) a job generator, but I do understand na may impact siya sa locals like traffic, solid waste, water, actually ayun nagiging problem talaga. Sa part ng TIEZA, we try to support with tourism infrastructure projects like wastewater treatment facilities and drainage,” they added.
The Boracay case
OpinYon research, digging into TIEZA’s claim of infrastructure support in local tourism areas, uncovered a wastewater treatment facilities project in Boracay that became a subject of an Ombudsman case.
In 2018, several tourism agencies including TIEZA and its head Mark Lapid faced a graft complaint after demonstrating ‘a clear bias’ in awarding Manila Water Company Incorporated (MWCI) the contract to operate the waterworks and sewerage system of Boracay Island.
The complainants, Rod Padilla and Roberto Gelito, residents of Boracay filed the complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman on May 8 of that year.
According to the complainants, Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA), former name of TIEZA, entered into a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) with MWCI in 2009 with many irregularities.
The complaint claims that PTA accepted an unsolicited proposal from MWCI without asking them to submit tender documents.
This led to other private companies not getting a chance to submit their comparative proposals after 30 days once PTA approves the tender documents because no such process occurred.
“It is undeniable from the above that respondents PTA Board of Members and Officers meticulously planned and craftily executed the award of the project to MWCI, notwithstanding non-compliance with the substantial and procedural provisions of the Joint Venture Guidelines,” the complaint said.
The ownership of Boracay Water also became 80 percent or P240 million for MWCI and 20 percent or P60 million for putting MWCI at control, according to the complaint.
“In effect, the respondents defrauded PTA into paying for something that it already owns – the water rights and water and sewerage system,” it added.
‘Achievements’?
What has the roadshow achieved?
Look at Laguna for farm tourism, addressing two important economic issues, employment from tourism services and food production.
Based on DOT IV-A’s Quarterly Regional Economic Situationer 2023 Laguna was last among the five provinces in the region in terms of overnight and third for same day tourists with 15,108, 520.
For tourist spots with most arrivals, only two are from Laguna.
San Pedro City’s Shrine of Jesus in the Holy Sepulchre was seventh with 1,821,549 arrivals followed by Enchanted Kingdom in Santa Rosa City at eighth for its 1,621,309 arrivals.
The province also has 3 gateway access: NAIA, Calamba Grand Central Terminal, and Santa Rosa Integrated Terminal.
This shows that the province is being left behind when it comes to tourism especially the third and fourth districts despite having enormous potential for farm tourism.
A factor for this is the poor road networks in the districts and the inaccessibility of towns not connected to SLEX; not to mention the hellish traffic in Calamba and Los Baños during rush hours.
And since TIEZA has much to prove, why not explore farm tourism and invest in tourism road infrastructure in the province?
(With report by Catherine Go and Jai Duena)
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