A CALL was made by Mayor Honey Lacuna for the leaders of the city’s 896 barangays to join hands in helping the tourism development efforts of their local government.
Lacuna made the call as she signed into law Ordinance 8976 which mandates the creation of tourism committees in each barangay with the end in view of aiding the city’s department of tourism culture and the arts (DTCAM) headed by Charlie Dungo in promoting tourist spots in their respective areas.
During the signing held in City Hall, Lacuna thanked Councilor and Liga ng Barangay president Lei Lacuna, head of the Manila City Council’s tourism committee, for having authored the said ordinance and Vice Mayor Yul Servo who serves as the concurrent Presiding Officer of the Manila City Council which passed the measure.
She urged the barangays to use the ordinance in further enhancing tourism resources and assets in their areas of jurisdiction and to capitalize on the measure as a tool for tourism development.
“Salamat sa DTCAM sa napakalaking ambag sa ating lungsod … muling binuhay ang turismo sa pamamagitan ng pagtutok sa walong natatanging tourism hubs sa lungsod,” the mayor said as she commended Dungo for a job well done.
The mayor added: “kadalasan, ang turismo ay nakatuon lamang sa Luneta at Intramuros pero dahil sa isinagawang tourism development plan kasama ang city council, lahat ng lugar sa Maynila ay mabibigyan na ng tamang pagpapahalaga. Salamat sa DTCAM dahil sa pagpapasigla ng turismo at kultura sa lungsod.”
She noted that the DTCAM used the pandemic as an opportunity to revive tourism in the city.
Special events have also been lined up by the local government in celebration of the tourism month, led by the signing of the landmark legislation that would further strengthen the grassroots leaders, barangay officials in utilizing tourism not only as an engine for growth and socio-economic development but also as a safeguard to enrich and protect our identity as a city teeming with culture and history, Lacuna added.
With the ordinance, the mayor expressed hope that it would serve as an instrument to recognize the capability of each barangay in wielding influence over their constituency regarding the importance of promoting local tourism, beginning with their areas of jurisdiction.
The most important part of the grand plan, she said, is envisioning Manila as a premier tourism and cultural hub of the country.
Apart from the barangays, Lacuna also called on all offices involved to actively join the efforts in promoting the city’s tourism, saying with the involved offices like the Manila Barangay Bureau, Liga ng Barangay and DTCAM leading the way along with 896 barangay chiefs, nothing is impossible.
For his part, Dungo said that the newly-signed ordinance aims to create tourism committees in every barangay and to bring DTCAM down to all the barangays.
He thanked Councilor Lei for having authored the said ordinance which he welcomed, saying the DTCAM cannot do the job alone and needs all the help it can get to perform to the fullest.
