Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 2238

INTRODUCED BY HON. MARCELINO “MARCY” R. TEQDORO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Tourism is a significant component of growth and development and could even
become, if only handled and administered well, a major source of revenues for the
government, creating jobs and opportunities for the people.

The main thrust of the current administration seems to veer towards enhancing
and improving on our tourism potentials. In fact, for the past two years, the country has
succeeded in reaching the two million mark, which is an indication of success at least in
terms of the number of foreign visitors who have visited the country.

Given this, it is important to tap local governments to share in this worthwhile
undertaking. This can be done by setting in place the necessary mechanism that shall
guide them in their participation in tourism- related programs, particularly those that
concern their respective jurisdictions,

‘The purpose of this bill is to do just that by creating the position of tourism officer
in all provinces, first class municipalities and those areas where tourism is considered a
major local industry.

Under the same, said tourism officer shall enable local governments to enhance
their tourism potentials by taking charge of the following:

* Formulate measures for the consideration of and provide technical support to
the governor or mayor, as the case may be, in carrying out measures to ensure
effective delivery of basic tourism services and access to tourism facilities; and

* Develop a tourism master plan for the area, in consonance, with the national
policies of government, as well as other tourism-related plans and strategies and,
upon approval thereof bythe governor or mayor, implement the same,
particularly those which have to do with tourism administration, to support
programs and projects which the sanggunian is empowered to provide for under
this code:

The creation and appointment of such tourism officer should greatly facilitate
local tourism initiatives, consequently institutionalizing local tourism programs that shall
bring forth significant socio-economic development.

Hence, immediate enactment of this measure is earnestly sought.

Aowhs Tho

MARCELINO “MARCY” R. TEODORO.
Representative, 1st District
City of Marikina


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No.

INTRODUCED BY HON. MARCELINO “MARCY” R. TEQDORO,

AN ACT
CREATING THE POSITION OF TOURISM OFFICER IN ALL PROVINCES,
FIRST CLASS MUNICIPALITIES AND CITIES, OR MUNICIPALITIES AND
CITIES WHERE TOURISM IS CONSIDERED A MAJOR LOCAL INDUSTRY,
AND DEFINING ITS QUALIFICATIONS, POWERS AND DUTIES, AMENDING
FOR THE PURPOSE CERTAIN SECTIONS OF REPUBCLIC ACT NO. 7160,
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress as assembled:

SECTION 1. Section 443, Book Ill, Title Two, Chapter 2 of Republic Act.
No. 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code is hereby amended
to read as follows:

“Section 443. Officials of the Municipal Government. —
XXX

SECTION 2. Section 2. Section 454, Book Ill, Title Three, Chapter 2 is
hereby amended to read as follows:

“Section 454. Officials of the City Government. —
XXX

SECTION 3. Section 463. Book Ill, Title Four, Chapter 2 is hereby
amended to read as follows:

Section 463. Officials of the Provincial Government. — (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, x x x a
provincial agriculturist, [and] a provincial veterinarian [.] , AND A PROVINCIAL
TOURISM OFFICER.

SECTION 4. Book Ill is hereby amended by inserting a new Article under
Title Five, herein referred to as Article 21, which shall be read as follows:

ARTICLE 21-—THE TOURISM OFFICER
Section 491. QUALIFICATIONS - NO PERSON SHALL BE APPOINTED

TOURISM OFFICER UNLESS HE IS A CITIZEN OF THE PHILIPPINES,
A RESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIT CONCERNED, OF


GOOD MORAL CHARACTER, A HOLDER OF A COLLEGE DEGREE
WITH SPECIALIZED TRAINING IN TOURISM ADMINISTRATION FROM
A RECOGNIZED COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY AND A FIRST GRADE
CIVIL SERVICE ELIGIBLE OR ITS EQUIVALENT. HE MUST HAVE
ACQUIRED EXPERIENCE IN TOURISM ADMINISRATION, INCLUDING
TOURISM MANAGEMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND CONTROL, OR AT
LEAST THREE (3) YEARS IN THE CASE OF THE CITY TOURISM
OFFICER OR ONE (1) YEAR IN THE CASE OF THE MUNICIPAL
TOURISM OFFICER.

THE APPOINMENT OF THE TOURISM OFFICER IS MANDATORY FOR
CITY AND MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS, PROVIDED, THAT, SAID
CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES FALL UNDER THE FIRST CLASS
CATEGORY, OR THAT TOURISM IS CONSIDERED AS A MAJOR
LOCAL INDUSTRY. ©

SECTION 492. POWERS AND DUTIES. — THE TOURISM OFFICER
SHALL TAKE CHARGE OF THE OFFICE ON TOURISM SERVICES AND.
SHALL:

(A) FORMULATE MEASURES FOR THE CONSIDERATION AND
PROVIDE TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO THE GOVERNOR OR
MAYOR, AS THE CASE MAY BE, IN CARRYING OUT
MEASURES TO ENSURE EFFECTIVE DELIVERY OF BASIC
TOURISM SERVICES AND ACCESS TO TOURISM
FACILITIES;

(B) DEVELOP A TOURISM MASTER PLAN FOR THE AREA, IN
CONSONANCE, WITH THE NATIONAL POLICIES OF
GOVERNMENT, AS WELL AS OTHER TOURISM-RELATED
PLANS AND STRATEGIES AND, UPON APPROVAL
THEREOF BY THE GOVERNOR OR MAYOR, IMPLEMENT
THE SAME, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHICH HAVE TO DO
WITH TOURISM ADMINISTRATION, TO SUPPORT
PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS WHICH THE SANGGUNIAN
|S EMPOWERED TO PROVIDE FOR UNDER THIS CODE:

(C) IN ADDITION TO THE FOREGOING, THE TOURISM
OFFICER SHALL:

1.) _ INITIATE THE SUPPORT PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS
THAT WILL DEVELOP, ENHANCE AND PROMOTE TOURISM AS.
A MAJOR INDUSTRY IN THE AREA;

2.) COORDINATE WITH CONCERNED GOVERNMENT

AGENCIES, NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS AND THE

PRIVATE SECTOR INVOLVED IN TOURISM, ON THE

DEVELOPMENT, ENHANCEMENT AND PRMOTION OF

TOURISM;

3) ASSIST THE CONCERNED REGIONAL OFFICE OF THE

DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM IN THE EVALUATION OF

TOURISM-RELATED ESTABLISHMENTS FOR THE ISSUANCE

OF LICENSE OR PERMIT TO OPERATE;

4) ASSIST THE.CONCERNED REGIONAL OFFICE OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM IN THE EVALUATION OF
TOURISM RELATED ESTABLISHMENTS FOR THE
PURPOSE OF ACCREDITATION;


5) RECOMMEND TO THE SANGGUNIAN AND ADVISE THE
GOVERNOR OR MAYOR AS THE CASE MAY BE, ON ALL
MATTERS RELATIVE TO THE PROMOTION OF TOURISM
AND PRESERVATION OF TOURIST ATTRACTIONS AND
VALUES OF THE AREA.

D) EXERCISE SUCH OTHER POWERS AND PERFORM SUCH
OTHER DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS AS MAY BE PRESCRIBED
BY LAW OR ORDINANCE.

SECTION 5. Alll laws, decrees, rules and regulations inconsistent with Act shall
be amended or repealed accordingly.

SECTION 6. If any provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional, the same
shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other provisions thereof.

SECTION 7. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete

publication in the Official Gazette or in least two (2) newspapers of general circulation,
whichever comes earlier.

Approved,