LOCAL government and private sector partnership will still be the cornerstone of the programs of the Department of Tourism nationwide, newly appointed Asec. Simeon Marfori II said.
With the use of the tourism map, the agency will come up with a system to push the tourism program.
“The role of the DOT is to facilitate and to create an environment for the private sector and the LGUs to take the initiative in making investments in tourism. We are laying down the groundwork for that,” he said.

Marfori said one of the priorities of the DOT under the Aquino administration is to improve accessibility and building the capacity of the tourism players.
He cited that with Mindanao having plenty of tourism potentials, they are now identifying projects that would impact on poverty alleviation by providing jobs to the residents.
“We are looking into community-based projects,” Marfori said.