The Department of Tourism (DOT) said 2.6 million tourists arrived in the Philippines in 2022.
This is due to the opening of borders to all international travelers in February, the DOT added, quoted by a GMA News report.
The DOT said some P173 billion tourism revenue was recorded in 2022 and more than 628,000 arrivals are returning Filipinos. The top arriving international tourists were from the US, South Korea, Australia, and United Kingdom, GMA News reported.
Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said the DOH is targeting to have 4.8 million international visitors this 2023.
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) meanwhile said 3,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were assisted with their rebooking flights after hundreds of flights were disrupted on Sunday due to technical issues in the airport.
DMW Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac, quoted by a GMA News report, said most of the stranded OFWs had flights supposedly going to the Middle East and other Asian countries.
“By our count, roughly around 3,000 OFWs were assisted with their rebooking insofar as getting themselves flights today and up to the next two or three days is concerned,” he said.
Over 280 flights were canceled, diverted, or delayed on New Year’s Day as the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) recorded a the technical issue at the Philippine Air Traffic Management Center.
Cacdac said many of the affected OFWs were given assistance by their airlines and recruitment agencies. They were also provided aid in terms of food, transport, and hotel accommodation.
Around 400 of these OFWs stranded at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), and airports of Clark and Mactan, had sought help in booking hotel accommodation, he added.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) further said the system was partially restored as of 4 p.m. on Sunday, and flights—both arriving and departing—have already resumed.