A Public Private Partnership (PPP) scheme could be the key to achieve the Davao Tourism Masterplan due to its high cost.
The new tourism campaign will start at the local level in the first three years and will build on the “urban core” of Davao City tourism. It will include the development of urban tourist destinations like parks, shopping malls, and night markets which will be the priority under the roadmap.
Architect Felino Palafox, Jr. of the Palafox Associates turned over the Tourism Master Plan of Davao City to Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte and the Davao City Tourism Operations Office (DCTOO) on July 26, 2022.
However, due to the high cost of its implementation, it is being recommended to make it a PPP project and implement it by phasing.
“Another option is to make it a Public-Private Partnership tungod kay dako ang cost. Need gyud siya by phasing in implementing the masterplan. Gina-validate na kung unsa ang unahon. The mayor is very willing to implement it phase by phase,” said Councilor Al Ryan Alejandre during the Aprubado sa Konseho media briefing on Tuesday.
Councilor Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz, chair of the Committee on Finance, Ways, Means, and Appropriations, said the implementation of the tourism plan would cost more than P20 billion.
“Practically hindi yan makaya ng city,” she said.
Ortiz added that with its implementation, the city will earn revenues and will boost the city’s tourism industry.
“But there is no finality yet. Maraming na identify si Palafox but this representation suggested that we will deal with it phase by phase kung ano yung kailangan talaga ng city ug kung unsa ang applicable sa Davao City yun ang i-prioritize. My suggestion is i-prioritize nila phase by phase,” Ortiz said.
Based on the master plan, the tourism framework strategy has been selected from the best features of the three proposed frameworks, with a tourism support hub within the city’s urban core toward different tourism clusters. These are based on the city’s districts through its extensive road network as tourism corridors.
Three new tourism circuits will be developed from the framework, highlighting the city’s existing and potential tourism activities: Downtown Davao Tour with Chinatown, San Pedro, and Mintal — the future local government center and emerging urban area; Adventure Eco-Tourism with Catigan-Eden-Toril loop up to Malagos and Cadalian in Baguio District; and Mountain Tourism at Marilog, integrating community-based tourism destinations with farm and nature tourism.
