Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ______ 
Introduced by Hon. Christopher “Toff” V.P. de Venecia 
AN ACT  
PROVIDING FOR MANDATORY APPOINTMENT OF CULTURE AND TOURISM 
OFFICERS IN PROVINCES AND CITIES AND OPTIONAL APPOINTMENT IN 
MUNICIPALITIES, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7160, 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE OF 1991 AS 
AMENDED, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Tourism holds a significant impact on the Philippine economy. The sector has redounded 
countless business opportunities and greater contribution to our nation’s GDP over the years, 
which, in turn, has generated substantial employment for the Filipinos. 
The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that around 4.90 million persons were 
employed in the tourism industries in 2021, amounting to about 11.1 percent of the total 
employment of our country. The Department also recognized the slowly rising international tourist 
arrivals in the year, following the reopening of the country’s borders as a result of the COVID-19 
pandemic. The contributions of tourism to our economy and our community are certainly not to 
be overlooked nor ignored. 
As a driver of economic growth, especially for the regions, tourism provides provinces and 
local governments with the unique opportunity to capitalize on their local and cultural heritage, as 
well as celebrate the wonders that their own town or city beholds. 
As such, there is a need to strengthen tourism safeguards as mentioned in Republic Act No. 
9593, otherwise known as the “Tourism Act of 2009”, a law that was enacted to utilize tourism’s 
potential “as an engine of socio-economic growth and cultural affirmation to generate investment, 
foreign exchange and employment and to continue to mold an enhanced sense of national pride 
for all Filipinos.” 
July 28, 2022
3:01 pm
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R.A. 9593 explicitly states that every province, city, or municipality, in coordination with 
the DOT, shall have a permanent plantilla position for a tourism officer. However, most local 
government units are negligent or unable to comply, since the Local Government Code contains 
no such provision. 
The absence of a dedicated tourism officer working to develop tourism products and 
programs for their jurisdiction holds a negative impact for both long-term planning and poverty 
alleviation strategies of the LGU – something that a well-crafted tourism development plan as 
mandated by R.A. 9593 will certainly address. 
But above that, there must be an inclusion of the cultural aspect of the tourism officer, and 
thus, it is proposed that a Culture and Tourism officer be mandated in the LGUs in order to ensure 
that said officer would deal with both facets, and to gear the tourism plan towards a cultural 
development. 
In light of these circumstances, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
REP. CHRISTOPHER “TOFF” V.P. DE VENECIA 
Fourth District, Pangasinan 
s 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ______ 
Introduced by Hon. Christopher “Toff” V.P. de Venecia 
AN ACT  
PROVIDING FOR MANDATORY APPOINTMENT OF CULTURE AND TOURISM 
OFFICERS IN PROVINCES AND CITIES AND OPTIONAL APPOINTMENT IN 
MUNICIPALITIES, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7160, 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE OF 1991 AS 
AMENDED, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled:  
SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. - The State shall provide for a local government position that 
will be responsible for and accountable to the development of the tourism industry whereby it is 
harnessed as an engine of sustainable socio-economic growth and cultural affirmation to generate 
investment and employment  
SEC. 2. Section 443(b) of Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government 
Code of 1991 is hereby amended to read as follows: 
(b) In addition thereto, the mayor may appoint a municipal administrator, a municipal legal
officer, a municipal agriculturist, a municipal environment and natural resources officer, a 
municipal social welfare and development officer, a municipal architect, [and] a municipal 
information officer [.], AND A MUNICIPAL CULTURAL AND TOURISM OFFICER. 
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SEC. 3.  Section 454(a) of the Local Government Code of 1991 is hereby amended to read as 
follows: 
(a) There shall be in each city a mayor, a vice-mayor, sangguniang panlungsod members, a 
secretary to the sangguniang panglungsod, a city treasurer, a city assessor, a city 
accountant, a city budget officer, a city planning and development coordinator, a city 
engineed, a city health officer, a city civil registrar, a city administrator, a city legal officer, 
a city veterinarian, a city social welfare and development officer, [and] a city general 
services officer [.] , AND A CITY CULUTURAL AND TOURISM OFFICER. 
SEC. 4. Section 463(a) of the Local Government Code of 1991 is hereby amended to read as 
follows: 
(a) There shall be in each province a governor, a vice-governor, members of the sangguniang 
panlalawigan, a secretary to the sangguniang panlalawigan, a provincial treasurer, a 
provincial assessor, a provincial accountant, a provincial engineer, a provincial budget 
officer, a provincial planning and development coordinator, a provincial legal officer, a 
provincial administrator, a provincial health officer, a provincial social welfare and 
development officer, a provincial general services officer, a provincial agriculturist, [and] 
a provincial veterinarian (.), AND A PROVINCIAL CULTURAL AND TOURISM 
OFFICER. 
SEC 5. There shall be incorporated in Title V of the said Code, entitled “Appointed Local Officials 
Common to All Municipalities, Cities, and Province”, a new article to be known as Articla XXI 
on the Tourism Officer, and its accompanying provision, to read as follows: 
“ARTICLE XXI 
The Cultural and Tourism Officer 
 
Section 490-A. Qualifications, Powers, and Duties 
(a) No person shall be appointed cultural and tourism officer unless he is a citizen of the 
Philippines, a resident of the local government unit concerned, of good moral character 
and irreproachable reputation, of known integrity and competence, has never been 


convicted of any election offense or of any rime punishable by more than six (6) months 
of imprisonment, or has no pending information for any offense, a holder of a college 
degree in tourism, business, economics, marketing, public administration or other 
related fields from a recognized college or university, and a first grade civil service 
eligible, or its equivalent. They must have at least five (5) years of substantial work 
experience and involvement in the tourism industry either in the private sector or 
government. 
 
Local Government Units with existing Tourism Officers prior to the implementation of 
this law will be given three (3) years to comply with the aforementioned requirements. 
 
(b) The cultural and tourism officer shall take charge of the office for tourism and shall 
practice the following: 
(1) Prepare, implement, coordinate, monitor, and update local tourism development 
plans; 
(2) Ensure the proper enforcement of tourism standards, laws, rules and regulations; 
(3) Provide regular reports on status of tourism plans and programs, tourist arrivals, 
employment, occupancy rates, investment and tourist products, among others, to 
the local chief executive and to the Department of Tourism (DOT); 
(4) Coordinate with the DOT and its attached agencies, as well as corporations and 
private entities, in regard to the development and promotion of tourism in the 
locality; and  
(5) Establish partnership with local agencies and private entities in promoting the 
tourism and cultural hearitage of their concerned cities and provinces nationwide 
and globally. 
(c) Exercise such other powers and perform such other duties and functions as may be 
prescribed by law or ordinance”  
SEC. 6. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part of this Act is declared invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not affected shall remain in full force and effect. 


SEC. 7. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, issuances, rules and regulations 
or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified 
accordingly. 
SEC. 8. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official 
Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.  
Approved,