CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga — An integrated or unified approach to promote Clark and Subic as major tourism attractions not only in Central Luzon but also in Northern Luzon is needed to attract and generate more tourists in these areas.
This recommendation was made by Ronaldo “Ronnie” Tiotuico, regional director of the Department of Tourism in Central Luzon, who said Clark and Subic are promoting their respective tourism programs as of now.
The former American military installations in the Philippines “should complement and not oppose each other in the tourism program of the government,” Tiotuico said.
During a media forum here, Tiotuico said Subic has natural attractions like beaches, forests, and theme parks, while Clark has land-based tourist sites, sports activities, an annual balloon festival, and biking events that can be promoted.
“Clark and Subic must be promoted as one major tourist attraction instead of two,” he stressed. The two former US air force and naval bases are currently under the control of the Bases Conversation Development Authority.
At present, Subic is edging Clark in attracting more tourists because of its natural attractions, Tiotuico added.
The official, who is retiring this month, said the arrivals at Clark have increased from 3.5 million to 4.2 million, mostly overseas Filipino workers from the Middle East and Asean countries.
The others are international tourists like Koreans, Americans, Chinese, Japanese and other nationalities who stay for almost a week and spend $100 a day, DOT data showed.
However, the Koreans still dominate the other nationalities with estimated arrivals of 15,000 a month. This is based on the monthly hotel room accommodations submitted by travel agencies to the department’s regional office, he said.
Tuituico, who started his career in the department in 1977, said his legacy in Central Luzon is the opening of the Mt. Pinatubo crater as a tourist attraction and the holding of the annual balloon festival, which remains the main tourist attraction in the region.
“I had to ask and request several times the late Raymundo Punongbayan, then Phivolcs director, when we can open the crater of the volcano for tourism purpose, until one day he agreed,” he said.
The opening of the crater for tourism has financially benefited the towns of Capas, Tarlac and Botolan, Zambales, which collect fees from tourists.
The annual balloon festival is now a self-generating enterprise, which will be duplicated in the Bicol region next year as requested by Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon Teo.