EDITORIAL - An idea whose time has come

Incoming Department of Tourism chief Liloan Mayor Christina Frasco wants the Suroy-Suroy Sugbo program to be replicated all around the country.

"This is certainly something that is worth emulating and replicating throughout the country. We will study it closely in the hopes of bringing attention to lesser-known tourist destinations in the Philippines,” she said.

Frasco is proving to be a good choice for her Cabinet position. It was the Suroy-Suroy Sugbo that put the province on the map for many tourists, not just from other parts of the country but from overseas as well. Similar programs done the right way can do wonders for other parts of the country.

Aside from attracting visitors, such programs can also encourage towns, cities, and provinces to develop their own tourist attractions or cottage industries, so it’s a win-win situation.

Of course, such an endeavor will have challenges. For instance, a town, city, or province might have something worth promoting but not have the funds to do so. Let alone embark on something similarly as ambitious as the Suroy-Suroy Sugbo, which comes with four different tour packages.

Then there is the challenge of balancing tourism and preserving that attraction or industry. We all know what happens to an attraction when it gets too much attention and becomes mismanaged; it becomes overdeveloped, polluted, and ultimately unsustainable.

This also goes without saying that all precautions should be taken considering there is a pandemic still going on and the number of those infected is rising in some parts of the country.

Of course, Frasco shouldn’t be expected to manage the details in all such programs. Local government units should be able to do fine on their own with a little help or guidance from the national government.

As Victor Hugo said, there is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come. Again if it’s done right, this idea is right on the money when it comes to revitalizing our tourism industry after two years of lockdowns and restrictions.