By TONY LOPEZ
On Aug. 15, 2025, the Manila Overseas Press Club (MOPC) held its Grand Tourism Night at the New World Makati. It was a resounding success. Guests swelled to more than double the initial booked reservation and they included CEOs and senior officials of the Philippines’ best, biggest and oldest corporations and the major players in the travel, leisure and convention industry.
Making all the difference was the First Lady, Louise Araneta Marcos (LAM), who braved rains, heavy payday Friday traffic and a monstrous accident in Nagtahan to grace the event and hand out awards to the CEOs of the nation’s best in tourism excellence.
Awardees were given Italy-made golden Bells of Excellence, each 18 inches tall and weighing 1.5 kilos: chair and CEO Ramon S. Ang of San Miguel Corp. (airports, hotels, resorts, tollways, and quality of products and services); chair Amando Tetangco Jr. of SM Investments Corp. (integrated tourism development, resorts and hotels, shipping and logistics, retail and entertainment complexes); CEO Kevin Tan of Alliance Global (the biggest hotel group); CEO Joseph Tanbuntiong of Jollibee Foods Corp. (he came with the CEOs of his different food brands and was cited for being one of the world’s largest and fastest growing restaurant chains);
CEO Carl Raymond Cruz of Globe Telecom (connectivity and GCash); CEO Agnes Devanadera of Clark Development Corp. (complete destination); Rafael Aboitiz, chief of airports, Aboitiz InfraCapital (airports); president Jose Parreño Jr. and Chris Tiu of Discovery Hotels; Judge Igmedio Emilio Camposano, Rodeo Masbate, Inc. (Asia’s only rodeo festival); founder Alejandra Clemente of Rajah Tours & Travel; CEO Sonya Garcia, Sonya’s Garden Bed and Breakfast; Ayala Corp. chief of hotels George Israel C. Aquino (hotels and resort islands); Atty. Mike Toledo, for PLDT-Smart-MPIC (for connectivity, tollways and utilities that enable a meaningful travel experience); Hans Hauri, for Hyatt Hotels and Toyota of GT Capital Holdings; and two hotel GMs of the year, Nantha Kumar of New World Hotel and Amit Oberoi of Shangri-la BGC.
First Lady honored
First Lady LAM was honored with the “Power of Transformation” trophy, a specially handcrafted 22-inch-tall wood sculpture designed by me that evokes passion for excellence, achievement and a higher purpose, “for being the transformative inspiration behind the modernization of various aspects of governance under the Bagong Pilipinas of President Marcos Jr., including tourism, culture and arts, the Pasig River Rehabilitation, repurposing of the Malacañan mansions, heritage preservation, health care and diplomatic relations, leading to a more inclusive society and a better life for all, guided by the dictum ‘public service is a privilege, not a business’ and a Philippines that is friend to all, enemy to none.”
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco received a plaque of distinction for her distinguished work as blue chip lawyer, mayor of a model town, Liloan, and her pathbreaking work as the Tourism Czar with the country on the edge of an impending tourism boom.
LAM does not usually make public speeches but she delivered one at our tourism event. She warmly congratulated the awardees for their well-deserved award, to loud applause.
Champions of tourism
She enthused: “As I was looking through the list of honorees, one thing stood out: we are all champions of the tourism industry. You help tourists feel welcome, safe and ready to fall in love with the Philippines. As our country is easy to fall in love with, we’ve built on our natural gifts, whether it’s our breathtaking landscapes, our cultural country, rich culture, food and festivals, you’ve truly helped tourists experience the genuine warmth and hospitality of Filipinos. From seamless arrivals to smooth journeys, heartfelt welcomes to strong WiFi connections, you really help show the world what is always worth finding in the Philippines. You are true partners in making our country a world-class destination.”
Bullish on tourism
The First Lady is bullish on tourism. “Tourism is on a strong upward path. Foreign arrivals have grown almost 10% from 2023 to 2024. This is why the administration is investing in better airports, stronger connectivity and smoother travel experiences. As my husband always says, more tourists, more jobs, more opportunities for our people. Needless to say, this cannot be done without the private sector. So, on behalf of my husband, thank you so, so very much.”
Tourism is booming
Indeed, Philippine tourism is booming. In particular, domestic tourism. We have over 45 million domestic tourists flying by air – many times more that the tourism arrivals of our ASEAN neighbors. It’s because we have 7,600 islands.
We need now at least 400 airports to connect these islands. We have only 80, barely 20 of which are night-rated or have a 2.5-km runway.
10 airports to be privatized
The Marcos Jr. administration will privatize 10 airports during his six years, the largest ever. In the first half this year alone, Cebu Pacific domestic passenger volume increased 21% over 2024 to 10.35 million, which means for the whole of 2025, its domestic passengers can reach 20 million. In 2024, PAL carried more than 9.14 million domestic passengers.
Why the tourism boom
The Philippines’ rising middle class, explosive growth in digital payments systems and resort to social media are fueling travel in the country and in the rest of Asia.
Today, the Filipino has gross per capita income of $4,974 and gross per capita GDP of $3,910 – making Filipinos among Asia’s top middle classes.
Our two biggest airlines, Cebu Pacific and PAL, are reporting record bookings, huge revenues and stable profits. Both are undertaking massive and unprecedented fleet expansion. Their load factors hover at 85%, far above breakeven.
Airline profits steady
Per IATA (International Air Transport Association), given a tumultuous year as 2025 has already proven to be, profits in the airline industry will likely hold up rather well. Lower fuel prices may drive some extra demand. The silver lining of the malfunctioning supply chains is that load factors increase, underpinning profits.
There is a severe shortage of planes, 30% of demand, or 17,000 planes. That means plane fares won’t be cheap.