Rocamora Commends DOT for Miss Universe Pageant Success

A member of the House Committee on Tourism on Wednesday filed a resolution commending the Department of Tourism for the country’s successful hosting of the Miss Universe beauty pageant.

Siquijor Rep. Ramon Rocamora said he filed House Resolution No. 737 titled “A Resolution commending the Department of Tourism for spearheading the well-planned, coordinated, and executed hosting of the 2016 Miss Universe Pageant” to give proper cognizance to the efforts of the tourism department and the future benefits it will generate for the country.

“I believe that Tourism Sec. Wanda Teo and the entire Department of Tourism should be given credit where credit is due. While the costs were minimal, the benefits of the Miss Universe pageant will be felt by the country in the months to come long after the pageant has concluded,” he said.

“It is a vote of confidence on our country’s tourism sector that many of the pageant contestants themselves have voiced willingness to return to the country as tourists. Although we might not have bagged the crown, we’ve already shown that the Philippine has the potential of being one of the world’s top tourist destinations,” Rocamora said.

In view of this success, the lawmaker said the DOT has its work cut out for it by raising the expectation of future important events to be hosted by the country.

“We were able to exceed everyone’s expectations. Now, the DOT must work harder to secure high level events such as this and ramp up the infrastructure to help accommodate a larger volume of tourists arriving in the country. From their performance in less than a year under the present administration, I think they are on their way,” Rocamora said.

This year’s Miss Universe beauty pageant is the third time the country hosted the prestigious beauty tilt.

The first one was in 1974 when Spain’s Amparo Muñoz was crowned while the second happened in 1994 with Sushmita Sen of India winning as Miss Universe.

France’s Iris Mittenaere won this year’s Miss Universe, a first in 60 years.

In the meantime, the Siquijor lawmaker urged the DOT to also feature lesser known but equally beautiful locations in the country in future international events as a way to promote additional tourist spots and further boost the country’s tourism industry.

“One area for improvement is really improving the marketing of other provinces and islands. Cebu, Boracay, Palawan, Bohol are already known the world over. So, it is just a matter of equity that we give other areas the chance of taking in their fair share of tourists,” Rocamora said. (PNA)JBP/CMR