The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged P78.41 million in unutilized funds from the Department of Tourism (DOT) from 2019 to December 2023, raising concerns about the potential impact on tourism development and marketing efforts.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) has P78.41 million in unutilized funds from 2019 to December 2023. The Commission on Audit (COA) found this concerning, as the funds could have supported crucial tourism projects and marketing initiatives. These unutilized funds belong to the Tourism Development Fund (TDF), established by Republic Act 9593 (Tourism Act of 2009). The TDF is replenished by fees collected by DOT’s Office of Tourism Resource Generation.
COA emphasizes that the unutilized funds for five consecutive years deprive the public of the benefits that projects, activities, and programs (PAPs) could have delivered. This also hinders the development, promotion, and marketing of tourism and other projects aimed at boosting the industry in the country. In August, DOT Undersecretary Shahlimar Tamano acknowledged that foreign tourist arrivals would likely fall short of the agency's conservative target of 7.7 million by year-end, reaching only 6 million, primarily due to slow arrivals from mainland China. The agency's marketing efforts were adjusted late, only belatedly recognizing the impact of diplomatic tensions between Manila and Beijing over the West Philippines Sea on tourism
Tourism Department Of Tourism Commission On Audit Unutilized Funds Tourism Development Fund
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