With the goal of contributing to tourism promotion in the country, the House of Representatives through the Committee on Tourism has launched a video blog (vlog) aptly called CONG-TOUR or Congressional Tour.
CONG-TOUR is a collective effort of the legislators under the leadership of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano where Tourism Committee Chair and Laguna Rep. Sol Aragones will play co-host with her follow legislators as she interviews them in their respective districts as they showcase their most unique food and local delicacies as well as their most popular tourist destinations and others yet to be discovered.
Aragones said that CONG-TOUR will show the legislators’ active involvement in the promotion of tourism, aside from their law-making functions. This is rooted in their belief that a booming tourism positively impacts the standard of living of the locals as it expands their job opportunities.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), tourism accounts for a 13% share of job sources in the Philippines, or roughly 5.4 million jobs.
In addition, the tourism sector contributes 12.7% in the country’s economy, or 2.2 trillion pesos in 2018.
The third-term lady legislator said that, “Ang solusyon sa ating problema ay wala sa ibang bansa o sa dayuhang banyaga. Para magkaroon ng hanapbuhay, at para lumago ang kabuhayan, kailangan natin ang ating mga sarili. Atin ito. Tayo mismo. Nasa Pilipino ang kailangan ng Pilipinas.”
“Huwag na tayong tumingin sa kung saan pa. Titigan lang natin ang ganda ng ating mga tanawin, ang sarap ng ating mga pagkain, ang yaman ng ating kultura, ang kulit ng ating mga kwento, at ang init ng pagmamahal ng mga pusong Pilipino. Ayos na tayo sa kapwa natin Pilipino.”
Data from PSA shows that in 2018, domestic tourism expenditure amounted to 3.2 trillion pesos while inbound tourism expenditure amounted to only 441.4 billion pesos. Local and international tourists spent almost 4 trillion in 2018. But in the total amounts spent by tourists in our country, only 12% comes from foreign tourists; 88% comes from domestic tourists.
The former broadcast journalist added that, “Kaming mga kongresista kasama kayo ang magiging tour guide sa ating mga kanya-kanyang distrito.
Sabay nating ito-tour ang ating mga kababayan sa mga tampok na pagkain at tanawin sa inyong lugar. Hihikayatin natin ang ating mga ka-distrito na mag-subscribe sa vlog natin; ikakalat natin ito sa buong Pilipinas para makita ng lahat ng mga Pilipino hanggang kumalat na rin sa buong mundo.
According to Aragones, “Sinimulan po namin ang 1st episode ng vlog sa 3rd and 4th Districts ng Laguna, sa aking distrito at kay Cong. Benjie Agarao. Susundan ng episode nina Cong. Len Alonte, sa Lone District of Biñan at Cong. Jun Chipeco, sa Lone District of Calamba. Susunod din ang 1st District ni Cong. Dan Fernandez at 2nd district ng Laguna ni Cong. Ruth Hernandez.
“Sisikapin natin na isunod na ang iba’t-ibang bahagi ng Pilipinas na kakayanin ng ating panahon.”
Aragones earnestly seeks the public’s support in this endeavor by actively promoting the vlog which can be accessed in CONG-TOUR on YouTube by subscribing, liking, and sharing the vlogs.
The vlogs would then be uploaded to the House of Representative website and subsequently be promoted and shared on online social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The first episode can be viewed by clicking the link
