Philippine Department of Tourism gains back-to-back wins at GovMedia Conference & Awards

The initiatives launched by the Department are grounded on President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr’s. pronouncement of promoting an enhanced Philippine tourism experience.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) of the Philippines received two prestigious awards at the esteemed GovMedia Conference & Awards 2024 for its flagship program Tourist Rest Area (TRA) that provides convenience and comfort to tourists, as well as its Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE) training program that highlights the country’s commitment to elevating the standards of hospitality and service across the tourism and service industries. 

“We celebrate these big wins for the Philippines, and we are grateful that GovMedia Conference and Awards 2024 has recognised the Tourist Rest Areas (TRA) and Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE) as being the best infrastructure and training programs in Asia. The Department of Tourism’s partnership with TIEZA and our local government units for the TRAs, and our collaboration with our FBSE trainers and our private tourism stakeholders, is pursuant to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s thrust towards enhancing the overall tourism experience and elevating the quality of Philippine tourism services. We thank our President for his transformative vision for our nation, and we thank all our partners for helping us strengthen the foundation of Philippine tourism,” enthused Philippine Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco who personally received the awards in a ceremony held Thursday (June 13) at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel.

“The Tourist Rest Areas and the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence Training Program manifest our commitment to providing world-class facilities and services and institutionalising the renowned Filipino hospitality that sets us apart on the global stage. These initiatives embody our dedication to continuous innovation, service excellence, good governance, and sustainable tourism practices. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our tourism stakeholders across the country whose partnership, commitment, and shared vision have been instrumental in the realisation of these initiatives. It is through your collective efforts and collaboration that we are able to deliver exceptional experiences and services to our visitors, showcasing the true spirit and identity of the Filipino,” the Philippine Tourism Chief added.

The TRA, a brainchild of Secretary Frasco, features the provision of clean restrooms with showers for tourists in transit to different tourist destinations. It also has a coffee shop and tourist lounge, a tourist information area, a charging station, and a souvenir store carrying a variety of products that are proudly made in the Philippines. It adopts the use of local materials and design elements and features the work of local artists.

With the help of the government’s tourism infrastructure arm, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) and DOT’s strong partnership with local government units (LGU), there have been as many as 10 TRAs built in major tourist destinations across the Philippines, with over 20 more expected to be built in the coming months. 

For this and next year, new TRAs will be spread out across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. DOT’s TRAs will rise in Batanes, Pangasinan, Bulacan, Palawan, Camarines Sur, Albay, Panay Island, Tacloban City in Leyte, Eastern Samar, Misamis Oriental, Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat, Siargao in Surigao Del Norte, to Tawi-Tawi, and Sulu, amongst others.

TIEZA is in charge of the funding and construction of the TRAs, whilst the DOT serves as the overall monitor and evaluator of the project as its primary concept originator, and the LGUs are tasked with the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the area.

The TRA brought the Philippines the win for Infrastructure Project of the Year - Tourism category whilst the DOT bagged the Philippines Training Program of the Year - Tourism for the FBSE training.

The FBSE training program is a game-changing initiative from DOT implemented by the Office of Industry and Manpower Development (OIMD) born out of the desire to provide excellent service to both local and international tourists visiting the Philippines. It involves one of the warm and sincere ways of welcoming the tourists, the “Mabuhay and Salamat” gestures throughout the arrival and until they leave, there will be an opportunity to showcase the Filipino brand of service excellence grounded on the 7 values of Filipino hospitality.

Since its inception, the program has made significant strides, conducting 2,997 trainings and empowering 148,710 stakeholders by the end of 2023. This monumental effort is supported by a robust network of trainers through a dedicated train-the-trainer program. Presently, stakeholders from different sectors of society have recognised the program and requested the DOT to conduct the FBSE with their personnel and staff.

“As we welcome these victories for our beloved nation, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to Philippine tourism and to the millions of Filipinos whose livelihood depends on the continued success of the industry. I invite all Filipinos to join us in this journey as we strive for excellence, promote sustainability and inclusivity, and share the beauty of our culture and heritage with the world. Together, let us harness the power of tourism to unite, to build bridges across diverse cultures, and to remind ourselves and the world of the many reasons to Love the Philippines!” said Secretary Frasco.

The GovMedia Conference & Awards is a prestigious event that spotlights outstanding government projects and initiatives in Asia that contribute to the well-being of the people in the region.

The Gov Media Awards is presented by Gov Media Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2025 awards programme and be recognised for your organisation's government projects and initiatives, please contact Jane Patiag at [email protected].