President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Friday, reaffirmed the importance of tourism in achieving inclusive growth and reducing poverty by creating more job opportunities for the Filipinos.
The Chief Executive made such statement as he graced the launch of the Department of Tourism (DOT) Food and Travel Festival with the theme ‘Kaon Ta!’ at Abreeza Mall.
In his remarks, the President lauded DOT’s approach in promoting the Filipino cuisine as part of the country’s tourism attraction by making the Philippines as a “center of food and gastronomy in the world.”
He further stressed that such impetus would increase the number of tourists visiting the country and promote empowerment to local communities.
“I welcome this initiative as it harnesses the potential of farm tourism as an effective tool in facilitating the growth of our local communities and promoting sustainable development,” the President said.
“I am glad that this tourism approach has gained increasing popularity with the growing number of Filipinos and foreign tourists aspiring to take a break from the stress of city life and, at the same time, augment their income, help them provide more [for] their families, and improve the crop production,” he added.
He also emphasized that this initiative would help create the image of the Philippines as a great culinary destination by bringing together local chefs, world-class dishes, and other agricultural products. He, however, reminded the participants in the event to ensure the quality of their products to be globally competitive.
“Let this occasion, therefore, strengthen your resolve to develop further Filipino cuisine, agricultural products, and technology that celebrate the best of being Filipino,” he said.
“The unique but truly wonderful Filipino culinary experience is something that we should all be proud of. Let this gathering spark greater appreciation of our diverse cuisine as we steer Philippine agriculture and tourism into even greater heights,” he added. (PCOO)
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