TOURISM Secretary Christina Frasco has called for the passage of a “Magna Carta for Tourism Workers” to institutionalize protections and benefits for industry frontliners.
Speaking at the 1st Philippine Tour Guides Summit on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, at Fili Hotel Nustar in Cebu City, Frasco said the proposed measure seeks to ensure lasting protection for workers in times of crisis, guarantee security of employment and uphold their dignity in service.
“The safety and dignity of tour guides should never be optional. What our tourism workers need is not only temporary relief but lasting protection. That’s why we are proposing to Congress for the filing of a Magna Carta for Tourism Workers — a law that institutionalizes what should have been yours all along: protection in times of need, security in times of crises and dignity in every season of service,” she said.
Frasco noted that drafts of the bill are underway, with stakeholder consultations to be conducted through the Philippine Federation of Tour Guides to ensure that the concerns and proposals of frontliners are reflected in the final version.
Since assuming leadership of the DOT, Frasco said the agency has rolled out initiatives to protect and empower tourism workers. These include providing emergency kits; extending livelihood and cash assistance programs in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development; expanding training opportunities; and making access to financing easier through the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry-Small Business Corp.
At present, there are 4,598 accredited regional and community tour guides in the country, with Central Visayas accounting for the largest share at 2,020. DOT 7 Director Judy Gabato said that 369 tour guides from across the Philippines joined the inaugural summit, themed “Love Our Islands, Love Our Stories.”
The summit also served as a national platform for policymakers, industry stakeholders and guides to discuss upgrading service standards, professional development and harnessing digital tools to enhance storytelling and meet evolving traveler expectations. Representatives from the World Tour Guides Federation, private sector partners and seasoned operators also participated.
Frasco underscored tourism’s economic value amid criticisms that the Philippines lags behind its Asean neighbors in visitor arrivals.
“I know the Philippines is often compared to our neighbors, and sometimes it seems that no matter how hard we work to champion tourism, there are those who dismiss our efforts by saying, ‘Oh, they only have five million tourists compared to other countries.’ But the truth is, tourism is not just about counting arrivals. It’s about lives changed, communities transformed and people employed. Tourism is about nation-building,” she said.
“For every peso spent on tourism in our country, the return is P5.50. No other sector can speak of such returns in so short a time, at such a low budget,” Frasco added.
A report from the Philippine News Agency said the country’s tourism sector expects to generate P2.7 trillion in 2025 with 6.8 million jobs. Last year, the share of the Tourism Direct Gross Value Added to the economy reached P2.35 trillion or about 8.9 percent. Employment in the sector in the same year posted a 6.1 percent increase to 6.75 million, compared with the 6.37 million in 2023.
Amid the criticism and challenges in the sector, Frasco reminded tour guides of their higher calling in shaping the Philippines’ global image.
“You are the first faces our visitors see and the last voices they hear — the storytellers who give life to the soul of the Philippines. You are the defenders of our story, so keep telling the good about our country,” she said. / KOC