Tourism officials led by Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco together with Bukidnon Governor Rogelio Neil Roque, Manolo Fortich Mayor Rogelio Quińo, and TIEZA Chief Operating Officer Mark Lapid recently inaugurated last August 4 the first ever TOURIST REST AREA (TRA) in Mindanao in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. The facility has an information center, lounge and charging stations, a coffee shop, clean restrooms with shower, a lactation room for breastfeeding mothers, works of art from local artists, and a pasalubong center selling local products from Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises.
The TRA located at the town proper just along Sayre Highway is in partnership with the Department of Tourism’s infrastructure arm, the Tourism Infrastructure Enterprise Zone Authority, and the Local Government Unit of Manolo Fortich.
The project is also pursuant to President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos, Jr.’s vision to transform Philippine tourism through infrastructure, innovation, and equal opportunities for tourism development nationwide, focusing on the enhancement of the overall tourist experience, among others. Secretary Frasco also announced that fifteen more TRAs will be added this year.
Check out the interiors below.
Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the TRA inauguration, Tourism Secretary Frasco extended livelihood assistance to tourism frontline workers based in Bukidnon. Basic mountaineering training and livelihood kits amounting to approximately P300,000 was awarded to Northern Mindanao community-based tourism organization Kalasanen Mountaineering Club (KMC) for being a trusted partner of the local government of Manolo Fortich and the DOT for mountain activities and other advocacies. KMC is also a member of the culture and arts sectoral group of the municipality’s tourism council.
Fifteen (15) DOT-accredited tour guides also received tour guiding essentials such as bamboo-made sunglasses, sunblock, and notebooks from the Department.
Browse more photos below.
all photos by Dept of Tourism, Christina Garcia Frasco, Mark Lapid-TIEZA
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