Solon wants to restore P3.9B proposed budget of DOT for next year

Baguio City Representative Mark Go on Thursday urged his fellow lawmakers to restore the original proposed budget of the Department of Tourism (DOT) so that it could continue implementing its programs that help boost the country's economy.

During the plenary deliberations on the DOT's 2021 budget, Go reiterated his earlier call to increase the allocation of the department by P90 million so that it could receive its original proposed funding of P3.9 billion.

Under the 2021 National Expenditure Program, a total of P3.8 billion has been recommended for the DOT for next year.

"Sa aking palagay, medyo maliit itong kanilang budget pero sabi nga ni Sec. Berna Puyat, pagkakasyahin nila ito at sila ay magiging masigasig lalo kahit na ganito ang kanilang budget," Go said.

Go said the DOT has contributed 12.7% in the country's gross domestic product as measured by the Tourism Direct Gross Value Added (TDGVA).

The TDGVA, according to the website of the Philippine Statistics Authority, is the "gross value added generated by tourism industries of the economy that directly serve visitors."

Moreover, Go said that more than 5 million Filipinos are employed in the tourism industry.

"Noong nakaraang budget hearing nga ako'y nagrekomenda na dagdagan ang kanilang budget batay doon sa kanilang original recommendation na additional P90 million," he said.

"I would like to reiterate this recommendation I made in the committee that we increase the budget by P90 million ng DOT," he added.

Of the P3.8 billion budget of the DOT under the NEP, P3.5 billion will be allocated to the department proper while P90.3 million will be for the Intramuros Administration and P230.2 million for the National Parks Development Committee. —LDF, GMA News