The Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) have significantly strengthened their Balik Bayani sa Turismo partnership with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the new Investment Opportunities for Nation’s Tourism (IPON) Tourism Program.
The formal ceremony was held on Thursday, November 27, at the DOT Multipurpose Hall in Makati City, led by Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco and attended by Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac and top executives from vital private sector partners.
In her remarks, Secretary Frasco underscored the program’s role in creating meaningful opportunities for returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) within the dynamic tourism sector.
“Year after year, OFW remittances and tourism receipts are among the highest contributors to the Philippine economy,” Secretary Frasco stated. “Our workers abroad sustain families and local communities, while tourism generates jobs, supports enterprises, and drives regional growth. Today’s signing of our MOU continues our program by bringing these two pillars of our economy together, allowing returning OFWs to reintegrate into communities that are expanding and full of opportunity and hope.”
The IPON Tourism Program is designed to offer returning OFWs a comprehensive suite of pathways for livelihood and investment in tourism-related enterprises. Key components of the agreement include:
Livelihood Training & Skills Certification: Providing specialized training in areas such as culinary arts and tour guiding.
Investment Opportunities: Offering avenues for capital participation, including condotel investment schemes, transport co-hosting, and logistics partnerships.
Teach-It-Forward Program: Enabling OFWs to utilize their international expertise by serving as trainers or resource persons, thereby strengthening the local tourism workforce.
The signing ceremony highlighted the crucial collaboration between the government and the private sector, which has been instrumental in shaping the program’s initiatives. Attendees from partner companies included:
Charley Magabo, General Manager of Hotel101
Michael V. Fox, AVP for General Services at FastCat
Jerome Lopez Manlapaz, Retail Manager of 2GO
Enrique Hormillo, CEO of DOON Transport Technologies Inc.
Patrick Joel Cinco, Chief Operating Officer of Duty Free Philippines Corporation
Also present at the event were key DOT officials, including Undersecretaries Shahlimar Hofer Tamano, Verna Buensuceso, and Ferdinand C. Jumapao, along with Maria Rica C. Bueno, Undersecretary for Tourism Standards, Regulations, and Human Capital Development, and Arlene Alipio, Director of the Office of Human Capital Development, who also delivered remarks.
The IPON Tourism Program marks a significant step in recognizing the sacrifices of OFWs and leveraging their wealth of experience to further fuel the growth and development of the Philippine tourism industry.
