THE Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (Mice) Ordinance of Davao City was approved on its third and final reading on June 14, 2022, said Councilor Myrna Ortiz.
According to her, after the final reading, the ordinance shall be presented to the mayor and await the final approval before being officially published. As of today, Ortiz has not yet confirmed whether the proposed ordinance has already been transmitted to the mayor’s office.
“Once the Ordinance takes effect, we hope that the Executive Department will implement the said Ordinance as soon as possible, especially since the City is gearing up for the MiceCon 2022 this year,” Ortiz told SunStar Davao on June 21.
According to Ortiz, the Mice Ordinance creates the Mice Board of Davao City that shall undertake the measures and plans for effective execution of “MICE-oriented services, activities, and programs.”
It is also expected to “develop policies intended to support and encourage stakeholders to engage in the conduct of Mice in the City.”
Some of the regulations include urging Mice organizers to strictly follow the minimum public health standards set by the city government, as well as to comply with the requirements set by the Davao City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO).
In addition, the Mice Board should be composed of one representative from tourism enterprises such as hotels and restaurants, travel and tours, convention facilities, food producers, and leisure destinations, as suggested by CTOO Head Generose Tecson under the proposed ordinance.
“In this way, there will be a unit solely responsible to regulate and support the operations of the Mice stakeholders. This will help boost Mice in Davao City,” Ortiz said.
Through this ordinance, Ortiz said the city government of Davao plans to position the city as a premier Mice hub in the southern region of the Philippines, as well as an international Mice destination in Southeast Asia.
It will be implemented 15 days after its official publication or general circulation to ensure that Dabawenyos are well-informed on the ordinance before it takes place. ICM