AN association of travel agencies in the country is alarmed that the rate of tourist arrivals this year is the slowest in recent records with only a rise of 1.5 percent from January to July compared with 6.1 percent for the same period in 2007, and this with a limited open-skies policy at the Disodado Macapagal Airport in Pampanga.

Robert Lim Joseph, chairman emeritus of the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies, said the figures prove that it is not just a matter of opening Philippine skies if the Philippines is to compete with neighboring country destinations.

Tourism Secretary Ace Durano blames high air fares and fuel surcharges for the tourism slowdown.

The tourism department is scrambling with new programs to encourage foreigners to come to the Philippines, starting with a shopping festival this month, after data showed that for the first time in three years, arrivals from Korea went down by 7.6 percent, the US by 0.1 percent and Japan by 10.2 percent.

Joseph agrees that new programs are needed to infuse new excitement into the travel and tourism industry if the government hopes to meet its goal of 5 million tourist arrivals by 2010.

He warned that there are moves by the Freedom of Flying Coalition to revive calls for unilateral open skies (allowing foreign airlines to operate in the country without giving the same privilege to Philippine air companies) by claiming falsely it will bring in tourists.

Joseph said some foreign airlines will just poach the Philippine market of Filipino travelers and tourists, especially the overseas workers, because global economic conditions discourage foreigners to travel.

“Instead of bringing in tourists, foreign airlines will bring out Filipinos and, consequently, foreign exchange,” he said.

Joseph said it is not unilateral open skies but innovative programs and better infrastructure, like better airports, good roads in tourist destinations, better and more lodging accommodations and improved resort facilities, that are the factors that will draw tourists to the country. “Honest Filipinos who would not cheat the tourists,” he added.

Joseph said his group has been saying this for many years against open skies, and the present plight of the travel and tourism industry underscores the bankruptcy of this aviation policy.

Mixed local sentiments on US financial meltdown

PHILIPPINE industries are not so worried about the possible effects of the turmoil in the US financial market on their operations, with the offshoring and outsourcing sector even looking at it as an opportunity for growth.

Yap not yet off the hook in agri scam, says group

A NETWORK of food-security advocates on Wednesday chided Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap for pointing an accusing finger at local government units as liable for the anomalous P218.7-million Ginintuang Masaganang Ani rice program last year, saying the country’s food czar is equally responsible and should be held liable for the latest scam to hit the Department of Agriculture.

DA to seek more funds for NFA’s palay-buying operation

THE Department of Agriculture DA is set to ask the national government to possibly double its P8.5-billion budget for procurement after the National Food Authority (NFA) doubled its palay-buying target to 1 million metric tons (MMT) during the palagad or main harvest.

Government to add P7B more for agricultural credit guarantee pool, DA announces

THE Department of Agriculture announced that the national government may contribute an additional P7 billion to an agricultural guarantee fund pool currently being administered by the Land Bank of the Philippines.

DA sees no more need to import chicken for this holiday season

THE government no longer sees the need to import chicken for the holiday season.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said there will be sufficient supply of chicken for the remainder of the year, especially with the poultry industry growing at 4.44 percent in the first half of 2008.

Slowing tourist arrivals alarm group of travel agencies

AN association of travel agencies in the country is alarmed that the rate of tourist arrivals this year is the slowest in recent records with only a rise of 1.5 percent from January to July compared with 6.1 percent for the same period in 2007, and this with a limited open-skies policy at the Disodado Macapagal Airport in Pampanga.

P1.420T in fresh capital needed to improve power sector, says Reyes

TARGETING to meet the projected 4.4-percent annual electricity demand growth, the Department of Energy (DOE) has estimated that the country would need P1.420 trillion to meet such requirement from now until 2014, Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes said Wednesday.