FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
- 
1 
7 Jlk -L. 
, 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Tourism has been regarded as an important growth industry throughout 
the world. Travel and tourism is one of the world's largest industry and one of the 
fastest growing sectors of the service economy. Vibrant tourism activity is known 
to result to economic growth, as it serves as a major source of foreign exchange 
and domestic incomes, generating employment and government revenues, as 
well as serving as a medium for opening new markets abroad for domestic 
products. 
The Philippines, with its verdant forests, white sand beaches, rich culture 
and heritage, scenic tourist attractions, and highly-educated and hospitable 
service personnel, evidently has the potential to become a prime tourist 
destination in Asia. In previous years, the tourism industry has already proven to 
be a viable financial contributor to the Philippine economy, generating millions of 
jobs nationwide. 
In recognition of the continuing development of Philippine tourism, and its 
contributions to our economy, this bill seeks to establish a National Policy on 
Tourism to effectively direct the development, promotion and advancement of 
Philippine tourism as a major national activity, pursued in accordance with the 
policies, strategies and programs enunciated by the government. 
In particular, the proposed National Tourism Policy Act seeks to ensure 
that ours is a kina' of tourism that ( 1 )  conserves and promotes our culture and 
heritage, national identity and unity; (2) receives appropriate attention and 
financial support; (3) promotes ecological sustainability by striking a balance 
between economic development on one hand, and environment and natural 
resource protection and conservation on the other; (4) 'promotes culture and 
gender sensitivity while working for reciprocity between hosts and guests; and (5) 
creates a favorable image for our country in the international community, thus 
strengthening the country's thrust to be a prime tourist destination. 
Thus, this policy outlines the parameters and sets the guidelines for 
Philippine tourism, and shall be the foundation from which a strategic and long- 
term framework on tourism shall be built. 
To carry out this mandate, the bill proposes the creation of a Tourism 
Development Advisory Council which shall institutionalize the participation and 
support of both the government and the private sector, with the Department of 
Tourism at the helm. This is in cognizance of the fact that effective tourism 
development is an undertaking that must be embarked on by all concerned 


agencies of government and interest groups, since it includes not just tourism 
promotion but environmental conservation and protection, infrastructure 
development, investment promotion, cultural preservation, peace and order, 
among others. 
The potential of the Philippines as a primary tourist destination is vast and 
full of promise. But the direction of its development and the key players that shall 
see this through must be forthright, and this is what the proposed National 
Tourism Policy Act seeks to ensure. For it is only with a clear policy of 
government that efforts to advance Philippine tourism can be guided accordingly. 
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly 
sought. 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
7 JlIi --:! i . 
7 
First Regular Session 
) 
S E N A T E  
I 
Senate Bill NO. 4 9 k 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
AN ACT 
THEREFO 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “The National 
Tourism Act of 2007”. 
SECTION 2. Objectives.- The development, promotion and advancement 
of tourism as a major national activity shall be pursued in accordance with the 
policies, strategies and programs enunciated by the government. The State shall 
seek to: 
(a) Ensure the development of Philippine tourism that is for and by the 
Filipino people, conserving and promoting our culture and heritage, 
national identity and sense of unity; 
(b) Recognize tourism development as integral to the national socio- 
economic development efforts to improve the quality of life of the 
Filipino people, receiving the appropriate attention and financial 
support necessary for the growth of this industry; 
(c) Promote a tourism industry that is ecologically sustainable by 
maintaining a balance between economic development, 
and 
environment and natural resource protection and conservation; 
(d) Promote a tourism industry that is culture and gender sensitive and will 
work for reciprocity between hosts and guests; and 
(e) Create a favorable image of the Philippines within the international 
community of nations, thereby strengthening the country’s attraction as 
a tourism destination and eventually paving the way for other benefits 
that may result from a positive global view of the country. 
SECTION 3. National Tourjsm Poljcy, - In pursuance of the above 
objectives, the State hereby adopts the following policies: 
(a) Encourage activities and programs which promote tourism awareness 
while at the same time encouraging the preservation of the country’s 
diverse cultures and heritage, and instilling a sense of history and 
pride among the youth and populace in general; 


(b) Promote the preservation of traditional crafts, skills, products, and 
indigenous activities such as, but not limited to, sports and games, and 
the production of handicrafts and folk arts by private artisans in the 
regions; 
(c) Encourage the use of indigenous architectural designs and materials in 
the construction of tourism facilities to the greatest extent possible; 
(d) All things being equal, grant preferential treatment to the employment 
of Filipino nationals in tourism-related enterprises; 
(e) Provide full government assistance by way of competitive tourism 
investment incentives, long-term development funds made available by 
government financing institutions and other financing schemes 
extended to the Filipino-owned enterprises; 
(f) Ensure that tourism development protects and promotes the general 
wellbeing of the Filipino people, particularly in the area of investments, 
to include the monitoring and prevention of any act of profiteering or 
speculation to the detriment of local residents; 
(9) Encourage competition in the tourism industry and maximize 
consumer choice by enhancing their continued viability and other 
tourism-oriented establishments; 
(h) Enhance the collection, analysis, and dissemination of data which 
accurately measure the economic and social impact of tourism in the 
country to facilitate planning in the public and private sectors; 
(i) Develop ecotourism as strategy for low-impact, environmentally-sound 
and 
community-participatory tourism 
programs 
enlisting 
the 
participation of local communities, including indigenous peoples, in 
conserving biophysical and cultural diversity, promoting environmental 
understanding and education, and ensuring full enjoyment of the 
benefits thereof by the concerned communities; 
(j) Rationalize existing civil aviation, land and sea transportation policies 
as they relate to tourism, inconsonance with existing bilateral 
agreements and interagency pronouncements; and 
(k) As stated in the Manila Declaration on World Tourism, the right to use 
of leisure, and in particular the right to access to holidays and to 
freedom of travel and tourism, a natural consequence of the right to 
work, is recognized as an aspect of the fulfillment of the human being 
by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as by the 
legislation of many States. Thus, it entails for society the duty of 
providing for its citizens the best practical, effective and non- 
discriminatory access to this type of activity. Such an effort must be in 
harmony with the priorities, institutions and traditions of each individual 
country. 
SECTION 4. Creation of a Tourism Development Advisory Council. - 
To carry out the provisions of this Act, the Tourism Development Advisory 
Council is hereby created, hereinafter referred to as the "Council" , to formulate 
programs in accordance with the provisions of this Act, and to review, integrate, 
and synchronize the policies, plans, programs and services of government and 
private agencies related to tourism. The Council shall serve as a 
recommendatory body to the Department of Tourism, which shall continue to be 
the primary government agency tasked with tourism program formulation and 
implementation, strategic and marketing planning, legislative liaison, inter-agency 
and intra-governmental coordination, regulatory control of the tourism industry 
sectors, and delivery of support services for domestic and international tourism 
promotion. 


SECTION 5. Composition. -The Council shall be composed of the heads 
of the following agencies in their ex-officio capacity or those who they may 
designate to attend the meetings: 
(a) Department of Tourism (DOT); 
(b) Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR); 
(c) Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC); 
(d) Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH); 
(e) Department of Trade and Industry (DTI); 
(f) Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG); 
(9) Department of Agriculture (DA); 
(h) Philippine Tourism Association (PTA); 
(i) Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation (PCVC); 
(j) lntramuros Administration (IA); 
(k) National Parks Development Committee (PNDC); and 
(I) University of the Philippines -Asian Institute of Tourism (UP-AIT). 
Three (3) members representing the respective heads of the following 
private sector organizations: 
1. Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HFWP); 
2. Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA); and 
3. Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA); 
Three (3) members representing the respective heads of the following 
1. The sea transport sector. 
2. Board of Airline Representatives; 
3. The land transport sector, and 
transport organizations: 
One (’I) 
member representing the regional Tourism Councils, 
One (1) member representing the indigenous peoples, and 
One (1) member representing the women’s sector. 
The Secretary of Tourism shall be the Chairperson and shall appoint the 
respective representatives to the Council from the nominees of the land and sea 
transportation sector, the Regional Tourism councils, the indigenous peoples and 
the women’s sector. The council shall elect the Vice-Chairperson from among the 
representatives of the private sector. 
SECTION 6. Meetings. - The Council shall meet at least six (6) times a 
year. Special meetings shall be held upon the call of the Chairperson or a 
majority of its members. A member who is unable to attend a session of the 
Council may designate an alternate who must be of sufficient rank and properly 
authorized to make decisions on behalf of the agency that is represented. 
SECTtOM 7. Powers and Functions. - The Council shall have the 
following powers and functions: 
(a) To formulate programs in accordance with the provisions of this Act; 
(b) To determine, monitor and review the participation of all concerned 
agencies in tourism development and coordinate the policies and 
programs affecting tourism, national heritage, and environmental and 
natural resource preservation; 


(c) To closely coordinate and work with all government agencies 
concerned, local government units (LGUs) and the private sector to 
ensure the smooth implementation of tourism plans and programs; 
(d) TO encourage the maximum participation of the private sector in 
tourism development and to support the activities of local tourism 
councils; 
(e) To formulate and enforce a system of accountability for the short and 
long term adverse environmental impact of tourism projects; programs 
or activities, which shall include the setting up of a funding of 
guarantee mechanism for clean-up and environmental rehabilitation 
and compensation for personal damages; 
(f) To prepare a national ecotourism strategy or program which shall 
guide the development, promotion and management of sustainable 
ecotourism in the country, incorporating as among its main features the 
identification of ecotourism sites, involvement of local communities, 
protection of the rights of indigenous peoples, environmental education 
and information campaign, and provision of technical and financial 
assistance to communities which are included in the network of tourism 
sites; 
(9) To call upon any government or private entity for assistance or support 
whenever deemed necessary to carry out the provision of this Act; 
(h) Whenever necessary, to create such committees to conduct studies for 
the formulation of plans, programs and activities for the attainment of 
the purpose of this Act; 
(i) To organize an Annual National Tourism Summit through the auspices 
of the Department of Tourism, as a means of ensuring wide and 
collective participation of all sectors involved in the sustainable 
development of tourism, as well as to carry out the provisions of this 
Act; 
(j) To exercise or perform such other powers and functions as may be 
deemed necessary, proper or incidental to the attainment of its 
objectives. 
SECTION 8. Annual Reports. - The Council shall submit an annual report 
for the preceding fiscal year to the President of the Philippines for transmittal to 
Congress on or before the thirty-first day of December of each year, which shall 
include a 
comprehensive 
and detailed report of the activities and 
accomplishment of the Council and its committees, results of efforts to coordinate 
the plans, programs, and projects of member agencies affecting tourism and 
recreation. 
SECTION 9. Secretariat - The Secretariat of the Council shall be 
composed of the support staff from the DOT, as appointed by the Secretary. 
SECTION 10. Rules and Regulations, - The Secretary of Tourism, in 
collaboration with other government agencies concerned, shall promulgate the 
rules and regulations necessary for the effective implementation of this Act. 
SECTION 11. Appropriations. - The amount of Five Million Pesos 
(P5,000,000.00) necessary for the implementation of this Act shall be included in 
the General Appropriations Act of the year following it s enactment into law. 
Thereafter, the annual funding of Five Million Pesos (P5,000,000.00) shall be 
charged against the travel tax collections accruing to the national government. 


SECTION 12. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees and executive order 
inconsistent with this provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified 
accordingly. 
SECTION 13. €ffecfivify. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
after its publication in the official Gazette or in at least two (2) national 
newspapers of general circulation, whichever comes earlier. 
Approved.