Resilient Infrastructure Critical to Philippine Tourism, DoT Chief Says
Key Takeaways
- •The Department of Tourism called for investment in climate-resilient infrastructure and disaster mitigation technology to shield the tourism sector from external shocks.
- •The Philippines was ranked the most disaster-prone country among 193 UN member states in the 2026 World Risk Index.
- •The DoT is seeking both local and foreign investment in ports, airports, and digital solutions to improve access to island destinations and reduce travel costs, beyond traditional hotels and resorts.
- •The DoT expects 6.7 million tourist arrivals this year, an increase of 3%.
- •ACMobility, the Ayala Group's mobility arm, is introducing EV brands and charging infrastructure as the Philippine Energy Plan targets EVs at 50% of the vehicle fleet by 2040 and 60% by 2050.
The Philippines needs greater investment in climate-resilient infrastructure as natural disasters continue to threaten its tourism industry, the Department of Tourism (DoT) said.
"We want investment in climate resilient infrastructure as well as disaster mitigation technology, to be immune to exogenous shocks," DoT Secretary Maria Bernardita Angara-Mathay told a panel on Wednesday during the ASEAN Inclusive Growth Summit.
The Philippines remained the most disaster-prone country out of 193 United Nations member states in the 2026 World Risk Index. The annual index gauges countries' exposure and vulnerability to natural hazards, a risk profile that bears directly on the tourism sector the DoT oversees.
Ms. Angara-Mathay also cited the need for investments that would improve access to island destinations and lower the cost of travel. As an archipelago, the Philippines relies on sea and air links to connect its islands, which places ports and airports at the center of any effort to widen tourist access.
"We recognize that access is a key issue that we must think about and address. So, this is one of the things that we would like to get investments from, both local and foreign," she said.
"We don't just want investment in the usual hotels and resorts. We want investment in physical infrastructure, ports and airports, and also digital solutions," she added.
The DoT expects tourist arrivals of 6.7 million this year, an increase of 3%.
Meanwhile, the private sector is weighing opportunities to support national priorities. "The Ayala group likes to attach itself to large-scale national development problems, and because that's a big part of our purpose and our core capability," AC Mobility Holdings, Inc. Chief Executive Officer Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala said in a separate panel.
ACMobility, the mobility arm of the Ayala Group, has been introducing EV brands and rolling out charging infrastructure in the Philippines amid growing demand for energy-efficient transport. Charging availability is a practical requirement for EV drivers, placing such networks within the same infrastructure investment agenda discussed at the summit.
Under the Philippine Energy Plan, the government is aiming for EVs to make up half of the country's vehicle fleet by 2040, rising to 60% by 2050. Those milestones set out a timeline against which government programs and private investments like ACMobility's can be measured.
— Beatriz Marie D. Cruz
Source: Bworldonline
