The Cebu Provincial Board (PB) has approved a resolution urging local chief executives to regularize tourism officers and upgrade tourism offices into full departments to strengthen local tourism development.
Resolution Details
The resolution, authored by Fifth District PB Member Andrei “Red” Duterte and approved on Monday, April 27, 2026, emphasized that tourism remains a key driver of economic growth, contributing to local revenues, employment, and the preservation of cultural and natural resources. It urges local chief executives to prioritize the regularization of tourism officers and their employees and the establishment of tourism offices as departments.
“In order to boost employee morale, give them security of tenure and to intensify efforts in intensifying tourism initiatives in their localities,” reads a portion of the title of the resolution.
Tourism as Key Economic Driver
Under Republic Act (RA) 9593, or the Tourism Act of 2009, tourism is declared a key driver of investment, employment, economic growth, and national development, while strengthening the mandate of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and its attached agencies to effectively implement tourism policies. Section 42 of the law requires every province, city, or municipality where tourism is a significant industry to create a permanent position for a tourism officer, tasked with preparing, implementing, and updating local tourism development plans and enforcing tourism laws, rules, and regulations in coordination with the DOT and its attached agencies.
The law also sets qualifications for tourism officers, requiring a relevant bachelor’s degree and at least five years of experience in the tourism industry, along with compliance with additional qualifications and training programs prescribed by the DOT. Section 43 mandates local government units to establish tourist information and assistance centers, in coordination with DOT regional offices, to support visitors and tourism-related enterprises.
Legal Basis
The resolution also cited the Local Government Code of 1991, which empowers local government units to create, modify, or reorganize their offices, including the establishment of tourism offices, to effectively carry out their mandated functions and promote local development. It also mentioned RA 9593, which directs local government units to actively participate in the promotion, development, and regulation of tourism activities within their jurisdictions, necessitating the existence of capable and duly organized tourism offices.
According to the resolution, despite the tourism officer’s crucial role, many tourism officers and employees remain under contractual, casual, or job order arrangements, leaving them without security of tenure and benefits. “A significant number of them remain in contractual, casual, or job order status, leaving them without security of tenure, benefits, and the protections accorded to regular government employees,” the resolution cited.
Key to Stronger Tourism
The measure stressed the need for stability in the workforce to sustain tourism programs. “High personnel turnover due to job insecurity undermines the effectiveness of tourism initiatives,” reads the resolution, adding that regularization would ensure “continuity of service, institutional knowledge, and program implementation.”
