MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Tourism on Thursday said it is looking into promoting heritage, culinary eco and farm tourism in Bulacan to help the province recover its economic losses due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Once the province of Bulacan reopens, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat committed to help bring in more tourists to Bulacan.
"So much history happened here in Bulacan, and when the province opens to tourism, we will make sure that more people from the NCR region will spend a day or more touring its heritage structures and ancestral homes and learning more about the birth of our nation," Puyat said.
She cited her deep roots in the province.
On Thursday, Puyat visited the historic Tecson House in San Miguel Bulacan. She said that her mother Rosie Lovely Tecson-Romulo, is related to Simon Tecson, the original owner of the house.
This ancestral house is where the ratification of the first Philippine Constitution took place, signed by first Philippine president Emilio Aguinaldo.
"I'm really looking forward to spending the day in historic Bulacan, reminiscing about the stories I heard growing up. As you might know, my family has deep roots in this province. My mother being a Tecson, is related to Simon Tecson, the original owner of this house," Puyat said.
Aside from the tours to heritage structures in Bulacan, the DOT also committed to provide the required technical assistance to ecotourism sites in the province for its safe reopening to tourists.
Likewise, it seeks to promote farm tourism in Calumpit, culinary tourism in Malolos and Marilao, and ecotourism sites in San Miguel, Doña Remedios Trinidad, San Rafael, and Norzagaray as part of its long-term recovery plans for Bulacan.
The DOT’s Office of Product and Market Development also approved the Food Mapping project in Bulacan, which will involve a series of capability-building seminars and workshops, food inventory and audit among others in different municipalities and cities in the province.
As of May 26, the province has a total of 62 existing and newly accredited accommodation establishments. Of which, 55 are now operational.
Early this month, the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, through Resolution 118A, allowed leisure travel between the National Capital Region Plus bubble and Modified General Community Quarantine areas to resume from June 1 to 15.
This directive allows residents aged below18 and above 65 to travel for leisure provided that they undergo RT-PCR test before travel.
The negative RT-PCR test is also required for travelers aged 18 to 65 age if so required by the local government unit (LGU) of destination.