First Ever Modified Eco-Friendly Tourist Rest Area to rise in Bicol Region

From left to right: TIEZA OIC Assistant Chief Operating Officer Jeoffrey Macalalad, Tabaco City Mayor Cielo Krisel Lagman, DOT Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, Vice Governor Glenda Ong Bongao, and DOT Regional Office V Director Herbie Aguas sign the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the sustainable Tourist Rest Area (TRA) in Tabaco City.

TABACO CITY, Albay—The Department of Tourism (DOT) marked a significant advancement for Bicol's tourism sector with the groundbreaking and signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the region's inaugural Tourist Rest Area (TRA), led by Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco and Tabaco City Mayor Cielo Krisel Lagman.

This was the first TRA in the Philippines to receive the modifications of the flagship tourist facility being constructed by the DOT, through the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) across strategic locations, with features of solar panel roofing, a rainwater harvesting system, among other eco-friendly features.

DOT Launches “More Fun Awaits” global campaign to showcase travel preps

View from the peak of the well-known Mt. Apo
in Davao. Photo courtesy of Aya Lowe for the
Department of Tourism

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has launched the More Fun Awaits campaign to strengthen the Philippines’ positioning as a top-of-mind tourist destination in the global market once international leisure travel to the country resumes. 

More Fun Awaits showcases the preparations that the DOT has been carrying out while tourism has been put on hold because of the pandemic. The campaign is focused on communicating exciting destinations to visit, starting with those that have been ready to welcome local tourists and have minimum health and safety protocols in place.