Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 9593)
The short title of Republic Act No. 9593 is "The Tourism Act of 2009."
The State declares tourism as an indispensable element of the national economy and an industry of national interest and importance, to be harnessed for socioeconomic growth, cultural affirmation, investment generation, foreign exchange, and employment.
Objectives include developing a national tourism action plan, promoting tourism awareness, granting preferential employment treatment to Filipinos in tourism, providing government investment incentives, protecting the welfare of Filipinos, encouraging competition, ensuring environmental protection, developing sustainable tourism, and enhancing the capability of local governments.
The Department of Tourism is the primary government agency responsible for planning, coordinating, implementing, and regulating the development and promotion of Philippine tourism both domestically and internationally.
TEZs are designated geographic areas characterized by contiguous territory with historical, cultural, environmental, and tourism potential, adequate infrastructure access, sufficient size for investment, and strategic location to catalyze socioeconomic development.
The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) supervises, regulates, and develops TEZs under the supervision and coordination of the Department of Tourism Secretary.
Incentives include income tax holidays (up to 6 years, extendable), exemption from customs duties on capital equipment and certain goods, social responsibility tax deductions, employment of foreign nationals under certain conditions, special investor resident visas, and the right to repatriate investments and earnings in foreign currency.
Primary tourism enterprises are required to obtain periodic accreditation from the Department to assure service quality, while secondary enterprises may accredit voluntarily. Non-compliant enterprises may face penalties including fines, suspension, or revocation of accreditation and payment of back taxes.
The TPB develops and implements domestic and international tourism marketing programs, directs coordination between government and private sectors, promotes the Philippines as a convention destination, contracts loans, receives grants, and performs all powers necessary to promote tourism effectively.
The DFPC operates the duty- and tax-free merchandising system to augment tourism service facilities and generate foreign exchange, with exclusive authority to operate or franchise stores selling duty-free merchandise at airports, seaports, and TEZs.