Rowena Guanzon: “Kulelat tayo sa turismo. Tapos adik pa presidente”
ROWENA GUANZON – The former Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner criticized the state of Philippine tourism, pointing out problems that make it hard to attract foreign visitors. In a Facebook post on January 2, Guanzon expressed concern not only about the performance of the Department of Tourism (DOT) but also about bigger issues that hold back the country’s tourism industry.
Guanzon said the Philippines struggles to promote itself abroad, adding that the DOT secretary, Christina Frasco, has not been effective in marketing the country. She also said that while foreigners are often charged high prices during their stay, they receive little protection because of corruption and negligence among officials.
She highlighted several problems affecting tourists, including expensive travel tickets, high prices of goods, and the presence of criminals in public areas, which make visitors feel unsafe. According to Guanzon, these issues make the Philippines less attractive to foreign travelers, hurting the tourism sector further.
In a strong comment, Guanzon also criticized President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., making a controversial remark about his alleged drug use, showing her frustration over what she sees as poor leadership affecting the country’s safety and reputation.
“Kulelat tayo sa tourism hindi lang dahil palpak si secretary frasco at mas lalong di nakakatulong ang pagpapaskip ng pagmumukha niya sa kung saan saan kundi ang hirap hirap imarket ng pilipinas sa mga foreigner ngayon. Ang mahal mahal ng ticket, ang taas taas ang presyo ng bilihin, ang daming nanamantala porket dayuhan wala naman sipang proteksyon dahil mga korap nakaupo, pero ang pinakamalaking issue ay hindi na sila feel safe dito saatin dahil nagkalat nanaman ang kriminal sa daan. Tapos adik pa Presidente,” she wrote.
Her comments came after a viral post on Facebook by a user named Max, criticizing the cover of what appeared to be a DOT promotional magazine. Max said he and his team had worked hard documenting the country’s tourist spots, taking photos and videos of about 320 destinations across Regions 1 to 13, generating around 236,000 photos and 6,500 video clips. Despite this, the magazine’s design and content drew criticism online.