February 4, 1999

MEMORANDUM

This refers to the Second Semester 1998 Performance Commitment which your office has submitted in response to the President's directive on the matter.

We have noted that your commitments for 1998, as a whole, are supportive of and promote this Administration's agenda. We are pleased that you shall be giving priority particularly to the promotion of community based, foreign and domestic tourism; pursuit of sustainable tourism development and destination development; conduct of tourism researches and networking with the private sector and other organizations; and expansion and improvement in the delivery of tourism services.

For 1999, please include the following in your commitments:

1. Design safety measures to address the rampant problem associated with the tourism industry especially child exploitation or child abuse in tourist areas and crime against foreign visitors.

2. Come up with promotions highlighting our country's cultural, socio-economic and, peace and order situations.

3. Intensify the advocacy for a more liberalized aviation industry to improve air service availability, quality, and efficiency.

4. Initiate preventive measures to help reduce cases of graft and corruption within your jurisdiction.

5. Consider attendance in international conventions to integrate Philippine tourism interests in international treaties and agreements.

These recommendations will make your commitments more attuned to achieving our overall thrust of improving the lives of the Filipino people.

(SGD.) JOSEPH EJERCITO ESTRADA

Second Semester 1998
Performance Commitment
DOT Secretary Gemma Cruz-Araneta

FORM

1. Secretary Araneta submitted the following documents:

a. 1998 PC Summary of Commitments

b. 1998 PC Action Plan

c. 1998 Agency Action Plan

2. The documents submitted followed the prescribed format and contained substantial information enough to facilitate the evaluation of the performance accomplishment of the Secretary and the Department.

SUBSTANCE

3. The Secretary assigned 80% for the position-specific KRAs and 20% for the management KRAs.

3.1 Under the position-specific KRAs, the Secretary commits to promote community based (20%), foreign and domestic tourism (15%); pursue sustainable tourism development (15%) and destination development (10%); conduct tourism researches and networking with the private sector and other organizations (10%); and expand and improve the delivery of tourism services (10%).

3.2 The following are the priorities of the Secretary under the management KRAs: Improvement in personnel productivity through skills training programs, and values and leadership courses (10%), and judicious utilization of resources through the implementation of economic measures, privatization of Philippine Authority assets and a 10% increase in the Intramuros Administration Revenues (10%).

4. The above mentioned commitments complement with the Department's mandate of encouraging, promoting and developing tourism as a major socio-economic activity to generate foreign currency and employment.

5. The commitments likewise reflect the government's thrust to attain sustainable development for the tourism industry with consideration on the preservation of the environment and conservation of local customs and traditions.

6. The weights assigned to each -individual commitment are generally logical with the greater weights assigned to concerns significant at the moment.

7. The performance indicators and targets are also presented accordingly following the prescribed format.

8. For her 1999 PC, the Secretary may take the following into consideration:

8.1 Include as a performance indicator the expected number of newly accredited tourism-related establishments and employment opportunities created and/or number of persons provided with employment as a result of the various tourism promotion activities of DOT.

8.2 Include as a performance indicator the volume of domestic tourists to determine the impact of tourism programs and projects implemented.

8.3 Also the Secretary may conceive or design safety measures to address the rampant problem associated with the tourism industry especially child exploitation or child abuse in tourist areas and crimes against foreign visitors.

8.4 It is not clearly stated for whichever activity the Philippines will be placed/recognized in the world's tourism map. The current publicity state of our country is brimming with negative projections. In relation to this, the Secretary may come up with promotions highlighting our country's cultural, socio-economic and, peace and order situations.

8.5 Aside from the participation in international trade fairs, consider the attendance in international conventions to integrate Philippine tourism interests in treaties and agreements.

8.6 Considering the tremendous effect of the air transportation problem on international tourist arrivals in the past year, the Secretary may intensify the advocacy for a more liberalized aviation industry to improve air service availability, quality and efficiency.

8.7 Indicate the number of Regional Tourism Master Plans (RTMPs) being implemented by the DOT in coordination with the concerned LGUs and the private sector.

8.8 The Secretary may also commit to take preventive measures to help reduce cases of graft and corruption within her jurisdiction.