Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
 HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by Representative CARLITO “Lito” S. MARQUEZ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to create mandatory position for tourism officers across local 
government units from the provincial up to the municipal levels where tourism is a 
significant industry. 
Central to the tourism policy of the State is the acknowledgment that tourism is a 
significant driver of economic growth. According to Philippine Statistics Authority (2019), 
the tourism industry has contributed 12.7% to the country’s GDP in 2019, prior to the 
pandemic. Primarily, it holds the promise of providing employment and income to the 
people, creating substantial impacts on local economies and communities. 
The political and administrative institutional arrangements are provided for by 
two significant statutes. First is the Philippine Tourism Act of 2009 which serves as the 
national tourism code of the country. Second is the Local Government Code of 1991 which 
decentralizes and devolves national government functions. However, the Tourism Act of 
2009 mandates only areas that are described loosely as having a significant tourism 
industry, as espoused in Section 125 of the aforementioned law. In effect, LGUs have not 
completely complied with this provision because it is not set clear in the Local 
Government Code. 
Therefore, it is the intent of this proposed measure to amend the Local 
Government Code of 1991 to align with the State’s policy toward sustainable tourism. 
Immediate approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
 ENGR. CARLITO “Lito” S. MARQUEZ
August 22, 2022
2:41 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by Representative CARLITO “Lito” S. MARQUEZ 
AN ACT 
MAKING THE POSITION OF A TOURISM OFFICER MANDATORY IN THE 
MUNICIPAL, CITY, AND PROVINCIAL LEVELS, AMENDING FOR THE 
PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7160, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE LOCAL 
GOVERNMENT CODE OF 1991 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1.  Section 443, Book III, Title Two, Chapter 2 of Republic Act No. 7160 
1 
is hereby amended to read as follows:  
2 
"SEC. 443. Officials of the Municipal Government. — (a) There shall be in 
3 
each municipality a municipal mayor, municipal vice-mayor, sangguniang 
4 
bayan members, a secretary to the sangguniang bayan, a municipal treasurer, 
5 
a municipal assessor, a municipal accountant, a municipal budget officer, a 
6 
municipal  budget officer, a municipal planning and development coordinator, 
7 
a municipal engineer/building official, a municipal health officer, and a 
8 
municipal civil registrar. A municipal Cooperatives Development Officer 
9 
(CDO) shall be appointed: Provided, That the municipality has the option to 
10 
appoint a full fledged CDO or merge such position to an existing position or 
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official in a related office, unit or department in the municipal government: 
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Provided, further, That if the municipality shall appoint a full fledged CDO, the 
13 
municipality has the option to set the rank, renumeration and other 
14 
emoluments of the municipal CDO subject to existing laws, rules, and 
15 
regulations. 
16 
A MUNICIPAL TOURISM OFFICER (MTO) SHALL ALSO BE 
17 
APPOINTED: PROVIDED, THAT IN MUNICIPALITIES WHERE 
18 
TOURISM IS A SIGNIFICANT INDUSTRY, THE APPOINTMENT OF 
19 
A MTO SHALL BE MANDATORY, PROVIDED, FURTHER, THAT 
20 
THE MUNICIPALITY HAS THE OPTION TO SET THE RANK, 
21 
REMUNERATION AND OTHER EMOLUMENTS OF THE MTO 
22 
SUBJECT TO EXISTING LAWS, RULES AND REGULATIONS.
23 
24 
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"(b) xxx 
1 
"(c) xxx 
2 
"(d) xxx 
3 
"(e) xxx 
4 
 
5 
SEC 2. Section 454, Book III, Title Three, Chapter 2 of Republic Act No. 7160 is 
6 
hereby amended to read as follows:  
7 
"SEC. 454. Officials of the City Government. (a) There shall be in each 
8 
city a mayor, a vice-mayor, sangguniang panlungsod members, a secretary 
9 
to the sangguniang panglungsod, a city treasurer, a city assessor, a city 
10 
accountant, a city budget officer, a city planning and development 
11 
coordinator, a city engineer, a city health officer, a city civil registrar, a city 
12 
administrator, a city legal officer, a city veterinarian, a city social welfare 
13 
and development officer, and a city general services officer. A city CDO shall 
14 
be appointed: Provided, That the city has the option to appoint a full fledged 
15 
CDO or merge such position to an existing position or official in a related 
16 
office, unit or department in the city government: Provided, further, That if 
17 
the city shall appoint a full fledged CDO, the city has the option to set the rank, 
18 
renumeration and other emoluments of the city CDO subject to existing laws, 
19 
rules, and regulations.  
20 
A CITY TOURISM OFFICER (CTO) SHALL ALSO BE 
21 
APPOINTED: PROVIDED, THAT THE APPOINTMENT OF A CTO 
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SHALL BE MANDATORY, PROVIDED, FURTHER, THAT THE CITY 
23 
HAS THE OPTION TO SET THE RANK, RENUMERATION AND 
24 
OTHER EMOLUMENTS OF THE CTO SUBJECT TO EXISTING 
25 
LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. " 
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"(b) In addition thereto, the city mayor may appoint a city architect, a 
27 
city information officer, a city agriculturist, a city population officer, and a 
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city environment and natural resources officer.  
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" xxx 
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"(c) xxx 
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"(d) xxx 
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"(e) xxx 
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SEC. 3. Section 463, Book III, Title Four, Chapter 2 of Republic Act No. 7160, is 
34 
hereby amended to read as follows:  
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"Sec 463. Officials of the Provincial Government. — (a) There shall be in 
36 
each province a governor, a vice-governor, members of the sangguniang 
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panlalawigan. a provincial treasurer, a provincial assessor; a provincial 
1 
accountant, a provincial engineer, a provincial budget officer, a provincial 
2 
administrator, a provincial health officer, a provincial social welfare and 
3 
development officer, a provincial general services officer, a provincial 
4 
agriculturist, and a provincial veterinarian.  A provincial CDO shall also be 
5 
appointed: Provided, That the province, in the appointment of a full fledged CDO 
6 
shall set the rank, renumeration and other emoluments of the provincial CDO 
7 
subject to existing laws, rules, and regulations. 
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A PROVINCIAL TOURISM OFFICER (PTO) SHALL ALSO BE 
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APPOINTED: PROVIDED, THAT IN PROVINCES WHERE TOURISM 
10 
IS A SIGNIFICANT INDUSTRY, THE APPOINTMENT OF A PTO 
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SHALL BE MANDATORY, PROVIDED, FURTHER, THAT THE 
12 
PROVINCE HAS THE OPTION TO SET THE RANK, RENUMERATION, 
13 
AND OTHER EMOLUMENTS OF THE PRO SUBJECT TO EXISTING 
14 
LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. " 
15 
"(b) In addition thereto, the governor may appoint a provincial 
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population officer, a provincial natural resources and environment officer, a 
17 
provincial architect, and a provincial information officer. 
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" xxx 
19 
"(c) xxx 
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"(d) xxx 
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"(e) xxx." 
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SEC 4. Section 467, of Book III, Title Five, Article Seventeen of Republic Act 
24 
No. 7160, is hereby amended and shall now read as follows: 
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ARTICLE XXI 
26 
THE TOURISM OFFICER 
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Sec 490-A. QUALITIFICATIONS, POWERS, AND DUTIES. — (A) 
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NO PERSON SHALL BE APPOINTED TOURISM OFFICER UNLESS 
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HE IS A CITIZEN OF THE PHILIPPINES, A RESIDENT OF THE 
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LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIT CONCERNED, OF GOOD MORAL 
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CHARACTER AND IRREPROACHABLE REPUTATION, OF KNOWN 
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INTEGRITY 
AND 
COMPETENCE, 
AND 
HAS 
NEVER 
BEEN 
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CONVICTED OF ANY ELECTION OFFENSE OR OF ANY CRIME 
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PUNISHABLE 
BY 
MORE 
THAN 
SIX 
(6) 
MONTHS 
OF 
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IMPRISONMENT, OR HAS NO PENDING INFORMATION FOR ANY 
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OFFENSE, A HOLDER OF A COLLEGE DEGREE IN TOURISM, 
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BUSINESS, ECONOMICS, MARKETING, PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION 
1 
OR OTHER RELATED FIELDS FROM A RECOGNIZED COLLEGE OR 
2 
UNIVERSITY, AND A FIRST GRADE CIVIL SERVICE ELIGIBLE OR 
3 
ITS EQUIVALENT. HE/SHE MUST HAVE AT LEAST GIVE (5) YEARS 
4 
OF SUBSTANTIAL WORK EXPERIENCE AND INVOLVEMENT IN 
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THE TOURISM INDUSTRY EITHER IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR OR 
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GOVERNMENT.  
7 
LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS WITH EXISTING TOURISM 
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OFFICERS PRIOR TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS LAW WILL 
9 
BE 
GIVEN 
THREE 
(3) 
YEARS 
TO 
COMPLY 
WITH 
THE 
10 
AFOREMENTIONED REQUIREMENTS.  
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(B) THE TOURISM OFFICER SHALL TAKE CHARGE OF THE 
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OFFICE FOR TOURISM AND SHALL PRACTICE THE FOLLOWING: 
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(1) PREPARE, IMPLEMENT, COORDINATE, MONITOR AND 
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UPDATE LOCAL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PLANS; 
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(2) ENSURE THE PROPER ENFORCEMENT OF TOURISM 
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STANDARDS, LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS; 
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(3) PROVIDE REGULAR REPORTS ON STATUS OF TOURISM 
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PLANS 
AND 
PROGRAMS, 
TOURIST 
ARRIVALS, 
19 
EMPLOYMENT, OCCUPANCY RATES, INVESTMENT AND 
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TOURIST PRODUCTS, AMONG OTHERS, TO THE LOCAL 
21 
CHIEF 
EXECUTIVE 
AND 
TO 
THE 
DEPARTMENT 
OF 
22 
TOURISM (DOT);  
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(4) COORDINATE WITH THE DOT AND ITS ATTACHED 
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AGENCIES, AS WELL AS CORPORATIONS AND PRIVATE 
25 
ENTITIES, IN REGARD TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND 
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PROMOTION OF TOURISM IN THE LOCALITY; AND 
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(5) ESTABLISH PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL AGENCIES AND 
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PRIVATE ENTITIES IN PROMOTING THE TOURISM OF 
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THEIR CONCERNED CITIES AND PROVINCES NATIONWIDE 
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AND GLOBALLY.  
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(C) EXERCISE SUCH OTHER POWERS AND PERFORM SUCH 
1 
OTHER DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS AS MAY BE PRESCRIBED BY 
2 
LAW OR ORDINANCE. 
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SEC 5. Separability Clause. — If any provision of this Act is held invalid or 
5 
unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in force and 
6 
effect.  
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SEC 6. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and 
8 
regulations, issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or 
9 
amended accordingly.  
10 
SEC 7. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
11 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper or general circulation.  
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Approved,