Baguio Country Club General Manager Anthony de Leon, who is also the President of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio (HRAB), said Baguio City’s tourism sector is “on the road to recovery” after typhoon “Pepeng” hit the city and the rest of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), thanks to the President’s holiday economics.

“We are still thankful Baguio is still being patronized,” he said, adding that those who visit the city are mostly local tourists.

He said that the presence of the President in the country’s capital city “contributes to additional visitors” during Christmas and Holy Week, even as he stressed that the Chief Executive has always been supportive of the tourism industry not only in Baguio City but all over the country.

“With the President’s holiday economics, there are more jobs and business. There’s really a lot of opportunities,” he said The President and her family usually spend the Yuletide holiday in this city.

At this time, hotels in the city are booked 100 percent The President introduced the concept of the holiday economics in 2001 to boost the sagging economy which has then become a regular thrust of her administration seeing the strong potential of tourism to fast track economic development.

The President usually issues proclamations moving the holiday to Friday if a holiday falls on a Wednesday or Thursday, or to Monday if a holiday falls on a Tuesday. The sole purpose is to enable government and private employees to enjoy a three-day weekend holiday.

Since then the policy was praised for boosting domestic tourism and for encouraging more quality time among members of families. (PIA- Pagadian City)

Last update: 04-01-2010 00:56