TOURISM Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco on Tuesday issued a scathing statement criticizing certain lawmakers for drastically slashing the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) promotions budget, saying the move undermines one of the country’s top economic drivers.
Frasco linked the budget cuts to her support for her husband, House Deputy Speaker Duke Frasco’s independent stance in the House, saying this may have made her a target for political retaliation.
“Apparently, voicing support for my husband’s independent stance in the House has made me fair game for attacks by certain Congressmen,” the tourism chief said.
She detailed how the DOT’s promotions budget was cut by 83% in 2024—from ₱1.2 billion to ₱200 million—and was further reduced in 2025 to just ₱100 million.
Citing the economic performance of the tourism sector despite the cuts, Frasco underscored the industry’s resilience. “With just ₱200 million, tourism generated ₱3.86 trillion in international and domestic visitor receipts,” she noted. The sector, she added, employed 6.75 million Filipinos directly and benefited nearly 10 million more through indirect and induced opportunities.
“That’s a return of over 1,900,000%. Trillions generated. Millions employed. No ghosts. No waste. Just results,” she declared.
Frasco aligned herself with sentiments expressed by a representative from the Tingog Partylist, who described tourism as one of the country’s most powerful tools for “regional development and inclusive growth.”
She then took Representatives Christopher de Venecia and Pablo Ortega to task, questioning why Congress would “continue to cut the budget of an industry that not only creates millions of jobs but also contributes trillions to our economy.”
Despite the limited funding, Frasco noted that the country still welcomed nearly 6 million foreign tourists, competing with neighboring countries that have significantly larger marketing budgets.
“Congress holds the power of the purse. But when that power is used to defund and punish a top economic driver like tourism, it directly harms our country and our people,” she warned.
In a pointed closing remark, Frasco quoted President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent State of the Nation Address: “Mahiya naman kayo.”
About the Author
