TACLOBAN CITY – Tourism Sec. Ma. Esperanza Christina Frasco will lead the regional launching of the department’s “Bisita Be My Guest (BBMG)” program.
The launching, scheduled this Friday (Oct. 13), with the region’s governors, congressmen, mayors, national-line agencies officials, academe, tourism stakeholders, and media expected to attend.
Sec. Frasco, together with other key officials of the department, will take the lead during the launch.
The BBMG Program is an incentivized promotional campaign program of the Department of Tourism (DOT) to encourage the active participation of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and Overseas Filipinos (OFs) to promote the Philippines.
Under this program, OFWs and OFs who invite foreign tourists to visit the country are entitled to a raffle ticket and have a chance to win special prizes.
Additionally, registered participants shall have the opportunity to avail of discounts, special rates, incentives from DOT-accredited enterprises, and packages during the campaign period using the BBMG travel passport and BBMG privilege card.
Sponsors, invitees, and tourists may avail of this card in identified vacation destinations and main gateways in the Philippines.
Based on the 2022 data from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Eastern Visayas has recorded 550,572 (OFWs).
Majority of them or 321,068 OFWs are from Leyte; 80,168 from Southern Leyte; 56,164 from Eastern Samar; 46,552 from Samar; 37,300 from Northern Samar; and 9,320 from Biliran province.
The BBMG was conceptualized and developed to achieve President Ferdinand Marcos’ vision to transform the Philippine tourism industry into a “major pillar” of economic growth in the next six years. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
