Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco. (PNA file photo)
MANILA – Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco on Thursday said the case of an airport screening personnel involved in the alleged theft of USD300 from a passenger is “isolated” and does not represent the entire tourism workforce of the Philippines.
Frasco believes the case will not affect the tourism sector, citing the many reasons for tourists to “love" and continue visiting the Philippines.
"I would just like to qualify that the single act or other isolated acts is absolutely not representative of our tourism industry and our tourism workers in our country who have worked so hard to ensure that we rise from the challenges of the pandemic and calamities," Frasco told reporters on the sidelines of the Tourism Pride Summit in Makati.
"We are confident that since there are very many reasons to love the Philippines, our tourism industry will continue to flourish despite this isolated incident," she added.
Frasco reiterated that the tourism sector continues to provide jobs to millions of Filipinos and that a crime against a tourist is considered a “crime against our country”.
"From our end, we fully support the Department of Transportation’s measures to mete out the maximum penalty to the person involved and we continue to collaborate with them so that the Filipino brand of service excellence, especially in our gateways, is perpetuated," she said.
The incident took place on Sept. 8 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1, where a screening officer was seen deliberately swallowing alleged paper bills stolen from a departing passenger.
The incident prompted Office for Transportation Security (OTS) Administrator Ma. O Aplasca to tender his courtesy resignation on Tuesday.
Aplasca stepped down after House Speaker Martin Romualdez warned that he would personally block the 2024 budget of the Department of Transportation and its attached agency, the OTS, if he would not quit his post. (PNA)
