Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco paid a visit to the town of Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro on Wednesday to express her support for the local government and tourism stakeholders.
The visit on April 12 was intended to encourage tourists to visit the town despite the recent oil disaster in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT).
“Puerto Galera continues to be unaffected by the oil spill, and it continues to open itself to tourism worldwide,” Frasco said in a statement.
Frasco also expressed hope that the efforts of the provincial government of Mindoro, the local government units, congressmen, and the regional office of the Department of Tourism (DOT) would aid in tourism recovery and transformation under the Marcos Administration.
Puerto Galera Mayor Rocky Ilagan earlier voiced his concern over the projections made by the UP Marine Science Institute (MSI), which allegedly caused prospective visitors to cancel their reservations.
He called on marine experts to be responsible in giving projections to avoid spreading fear.
Despite the challenges and calamities that the province has faced, Frasco encouraged tourists to visit Puerto Galera and Mindoro, saying that “the Philippines, including Puerto Galera and Mindoro, continues to be a beautiful tourist destination.”
According to local tourism data, a total of 18,757 tourists arrived in Puerto Galera from April 3 to 10, 2023, during the long Holy Week break. The DOT hopes that this positive trend will continue in the coming months.
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