By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet

Tapping into the vast potential of the country’s tourism industry, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. graced the launch of the Turismo Asenso Loan Program (TALP) in a ceremony held at Pasay City this Monday.

TALP is a financing initiative formed by the joint efforts of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Tourism (DOT), and the Small Business Corporation (SBCorp) which seeks to empower tourism micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by helping them to expand their operations and generate more jobs across related industries nationwide.

Under TALP, MSMEs were provided with low-interest loans of up to P20 million, with repayment terms of up to five years and an interest rate of 1% per month on a diminishing balance.

President Marcos said in his speech, “Layunin ng programang ito na gawing mas abot kamay ang puhunan para sa mga MSME sa turismo. Ngayong araw, ipinagkaloob natin ang loan packages sa 9 na tourism-related MSMEs mula sa NCR at sa Region IV-A.”

He noted the program’s tangible benefits to tourism MSMEs: “Sa pamamagitan ng loan na ito, matutulungan natin ang ating MSMEs na sila ay mapalago, ang inyong mga negosyo, mapahusay ang kalidad ng serbisyo para maipakita ang tatak ng ating ipinagmamalaki na Filipino hospitality.”

The Chief Executive likewise emphasized that TALP works in conjunction with other tourism-related initiatives such as DTI’s Negosyo Centers, Go Lokal stalls and trade fairs that facilitate promotion of local products, as well as DOT’s Tourist Rest Areas that provide a safe haven for locals and foreigners visiting the country’s travel destinations.

PBBM lauds efforts of tourism workers, notes potential of experiential tourism

President Marcos, meanwhile, ordered the DOT, DTI, and SBCorp to expand the coverage of TALP across the country, streamline the program’s application process, and ensure that more tourism MSMEs can benefit from it, especially those from far-flung areas.

In his closing remarks, the President honored tourism workers and stakeholders for their indispensable contribution in bolstering the country’s tourism industry, “Sa ating mga tourism workers at stakeholders, mula lungsod hanggang malalayong isla, kayo ang dahilan kung bakit pinapalakas natin ang suporta para sa mga maliliit na negosyo sa turismo.” 

He added, “At sa mga lokal na komunidad, sa industriya ng sining, sa mga hospitality providers, saludo naman kami sa inyong lahat. Dahil sa inyo, mas lumalalim ang paghanga at pagkakilala ng mga turista sa mga ipinagmamalaki natin dito sa Pilipinas.”

The Chief Executive also noted the emerging phenomenon of experiential tourism, in which tourists delve beyond the sights and sounds of local sceneries to include firsthand interactions with locals by learning the culture, language, and cuisine accompanied by the world-renowned hospitality of Filipinos.

This initiative mirrors a proactive and concerted approach in leveraging the steady increase of both foreign and domestic tourist arrivals to establish further growth in the domestic tourism industry. Also present at the event were DOT Secretary Christina Frasco, DTI Secretary Cristina Roque, and SBCorp President and CEO Robert Bastillo.

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