In a private meeting on September 4, 2017, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) General Manager/Chief Operating Officer Pocholo Paragas explained to President Rodrigo Duterte the policy direction of corporation, the Five Pillars of TIEZA. Guided by the National Tourism Development Plan 2016-2020 (NTDP), the Five Pillars aim to reform the country’s travel tax collection and enhance the Philippines’ tourism performance and investment opportunities.

Also discussed during the meeting was the cruise program which will include the much anticipated Manila Cruise Terminal and several Floating Docks. “We cannot build seven thousand airports but we can bring a boat to seven thousand islands,” GM/COO Paragas said.

Another important point raised was the need to address the sunset clause of the Tourism Act of 2009 which set a deadline to the availment of incentives of Tourism Enterprise Zones (TEZs) to 2019. To fully actualize the intent of the law and optimize the TEZs, it was agreed that methods of extension will be explored immediately and exhaustively.

In the photo, GM/COO Paragas hands a copy of #tiezaworks usb which aims
to streamline the process for tourism infrastructure projects.