Philippine Consul General Ferrer Welcomes Tourism Secretary Frasco to San Francisco for ‘Bisita Be My Guest’ Launch
San Francisco, CA – Philippine Consul General Neil R. Ferrer welcomed Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco in San Francisco for the official launch of the Bisita, Be My Guest Program (BBMG) on April 24, 2023.
The Tourism chief launched the program at the Cal Academy of Sciences, a fitting venue for the tourism program as it houses a 25 feet-deep Philippine Coral Reef tank.
Consul General Neil R. Ferrer welcomed guests at Cal Academy for the BBMG launch and encouraged guests to visit the Philippines, one of the world’s mega diverse countries, made up of 7,641 islands.
BBMG is the DOT’s latest online referral program that offers prizes to Filipinos who invite their foreign friends to visit the Philippines. The prizes include condominium units from Megaworld Corporation and SMDC, a house and lot from Amaia Land, and travel packages from the Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, and Nay Palad in Siargao.
During the launch event at the Cal Academy of Sciences, Secretary Frasco acknowledged the contributions of overseas Filipinos to the country and expressed her gratitude to them. “We deliver our message of gratitude to you, who by your work and by your example, continue to provide us with aspirational beliefs that if you work hard, you can make your mark in the world,” Secretary Frasco said.
BBMG is a joint program of the DOT with the Department of Migrant Workers that also aims to encourage the Filipino diaspora to be tourism ambassadors of the Philippines.
Secretary Frasco led a delegation of officials from the Tourism Department including Tourism Promotions Board Chief Operating Officer Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles.
The Tourism chief presented the various initiatives of the Department hinged on the National Tourism Development Plan 2023-2028 and underpinned by the need for connectivity, convenience, and enhanced tourism experience across all tourism programs.
Among the initiatives of the DOT is making available the Tourist Lifecycle app, which is an application that curates tourists’ experiences and can connect them to relevant establishments, such as DOT regional offices, tourist police for immediate security assistance, etc.
The Tourism officials also led a listening tour at the Philippine Consulate to get feedback from various stakeholders in the tourism industry.
The U.S. is the Philippines’ second top market of Philippine tourism. With the launch of the BBMG program, the DOT aims to increase tourism arrivals and promote the beauty of the Philippines to a wider audience.
For more information on the BBMG program and the Department of Tourism, please visit https://beta.tourism.gov.ph/.
