Admittedly, even with the surge in tourism numbers over the past five years, the Philippines still lags behind its neighbors in the region.
Asked by the BusinessMirror when the country will be able to see its tourism industry on the same footing, Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP) President Rosanna Tuason-Fores honest reply was, “When the government wakes up.”
Tuason-Fores grew up as an activist despite coming from a well-to-do family that first exported bananas to Japan in 1968.
It is hard to described Tuason-Fores without thinking of her similarities with American actress, writer and political activist Jane Fonda, who has earned the ire, admiration and respect of the American public and the world at large.
She said that, under the Aquino administration, the Philippines had a chance to make the difference, tourism-wise, but then, some in the private sector had grown too greedy and practically monopolized or denied the funds that should have gone to the small and medium enterprises.
Tuason-Fores, one of the leading ambassadors of Philippine tourism, wants all stakeholders in the tourism industry to share and work things together.
Her dream is to connect the country’s tourist destinations by ports instead of relying on airports, which, she said, remain few and far too complicated to get running.
“I am constrained by two things, the government and the private sector, which continue to be exclusive in their growth,” Tuason-Fores said, while adding that the Department of Transportation and Communications should be aligned with the Department of Tourism (DOT) objectives.
She said the DOT has been trying its best to promote tourism, unlike the other government agencies that should have been providing the necessary loans and incentives for the small players to be able to finance their businesses.
Tuason-Fores added that the TCP vision is to empower the small players in their desire to develop a culture of tourism and by harnessing the potential of the country’s 7,107 islands.
“We have a little over a year remaining, and with the determination of the President, who believes that tourism is a low-lying fruit, and the DOT, which has been very effective…,” her voice trailed off, as she promised to continue with her advocacy even after a new administration has been installed in office.
“I will continue. I have been doing this for 30 years. You can never take that out of my heart. That is the way God wants me to do it. I will continue to fight,” Tuason-Fores said.
The TCP, created under Republic Act 9593, is a private-sector consultative body that assists the government in the development, implementation and coordination of the country’s tourism policies.
Going bananas
Tuason-Fores said she had a career that run through the entertainment industry, coconuts, tourism, a barangay captain for three years, to leading a Mindanao-based company.
Hijo is a banana plantation founded by her father, Jose, in 1968, pioneering the export of the fruit to Japan. At 2,200 hectares, it was the largest banana plantation in the country, until the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program broke up the land for the local farmers and only 760 hectares remained.
In 2007 Tuason-Fores took over management of Hijo, long after her father died in a plane crash.
“In 2006 to 2007, I decided to commit to Hijo, located in Mindanao, like I said, I found a home there in Mindanao, of all places,” she said.
Tuason-Fores grew up in Manila and graduated from college at the Santa Clara University in the United States.
“My father was a very wealthy, landed family. He went to Misamis, Candelaria in Quezon during the 1960s, looking for places to establish a business,” Tuason-Fores said. She said her father found the plantation in Tagum, and bought it from the Americans.
“But the banana, it’s been controlled by multinationals, the farmers get the crumbs, so now, because of containerization and logistics, 30 percent of the banana industry is now coming from independent farmers,” Tuason-Fores said
She added: “But because of our laws, and the multinationals, we have not maximized, we have not given equity to the farmers because, maybe two thirds of our cost is logistics.”
Tuason-Fores said it only takes three to five days for our bananas to reach Japan, but the country is steadily losing ground to other players, like Ecuador, which takes about 45 days for their bananas to reach the shores of Japan.
“Why are we losing out on our traditional market? Because the players involved are very exclusive, they want to think only of themselves, some say we should learn to compete as a country,” Tuason-Fores said.
She added that although there are still bananas in Hijo, the management has ventured into other interests, including coconut and sugar plantations, leisure and tourism, property development, ports and logistics, and energy production.
Inclusive growth
Turning her attention to the country’s tourism industry, she said there should be equity among those who are involved.
“I think Mon Jimenez is very clear in saying tourism is alive in the Philippines. It is up to you whether you want to join it or not. He also said for them to not be scared to search for a partner because they will assist and protect them,” she said.
Tuason-Fores said her hope is for the TCP to bring about equity and social economic justice to the industry, believing that people have to learn how to share, not just with their employees but with the communities they serve.
She said that we should never compete against each other but against those outside of the country, pointing to the same issues the banana plantation owners in the country face.
“I believe tourism is the hope for the country. I truly believe that, from the natural point of view. God blessed the country with its beautiful landscapes, beaches, everything that you can imagine, better than any country in the world,” Tuason-Fores said.
She added that when it comes to travel destinations, no country in the region can match what the Philippines can offer. But for her, the main stumbling block is infrastructure development.
Tuason-Fores said she decided to go into tourism because its impact can be felt all the way to the grassroots level.
“What we are trying to do in the absence of incentives have been opening up other gateways. I looked at the sea as a gateway, a highway, a road network. You do not have to build it anymore, it is there,” she said.
Tuason-Fores cited the roll-on, roll-off project which has connected Siquijor, Dumaguete and other outlying islands. She also noted how Puerto Galera in Mindoro can only be reached through a boat ride from Batangas.
“Manufacturing, that is easy to understand. But tourism has a multiplier effect that these people do not understand. They have no clue. The fisherman will be happier because his catch would be bought at a high price by foreigners, who will pay three times more than the Filipinos,” Tuason-Fores said.
According to Tuason-Fores, the TCP has been constantly asking for government incentives because the payback period for hotels and resorts is at 10 years, at least, unless they are in high-traffic areas like Boracay or the Entertainment City.
“The local investors need those incentives,” she said.
Tuason-Fores added that she very much appreciates the TCP board members, who are all present not for their personal interests but are all active and united in the work they do for the country’s tourism industry.