TACLOBAN CITY – Leyte Representative Anna Veloso-Tuazon has expressed full support for Northern Samar Representative Edwin Ongchuan’s proposal to transfer the Tourism Road Infrastructure Program (TRIP) back to the Department of Tourism (DoT), saying the move would improve transparency and ensure tourism-driven infrastructure development.
Tuazon, who represents Leyte’s third district, said Ongchuan’s proposal “responds to longstanding concerns” about the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which currently implements tourism road projects but has been criticized for inefficiency and misaligned priorities.
“Returning TRIP to the DoT is a logical step to ensure projects truly match the needs of local tourism and community development,” Tuazon said.
Ongchuan, speaking at the House committee on appropriations hearing on September 2, 2025, pressed for stronger funding and policy support for the DoT as Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco presented the agency’s proposed 2026 budget.
Ongchuan argued that while the DPWH currently handles the engineering and construction of tourism-related infrastructure, its track record has been marred by inefficiency and controversies, including alleged irregularities in flood control projects nationwide.
“Returning the program to the DoT would improve transparency and accountability, and more importantly, ensure that tourism road projects truly match the priorities of the tourism sector,” he added.
The Tourism Road Infrastructure Program, launched in 2012, originally operated under a DoT-DPWH convergence setup but has gradually shifted more control to DPWH over the years. Stakeholders and lawmakers have since raised concerns that projects under DPWH often prioritize roadworks disconnected from actual tourism development plans.
Tourism advocates in Northern Samar say the lack of adequate and well-maintained access roads remains a key barrier to unlocking the province’s eco-adventure potential. By transferring the TRIP back to the DoT, Ongchuan believes projects will be more targeted, less prone to abuse, and better aligned with the needs of local communities.
Ongchuan’s advocacy is part of his broader push to strengthen tourism in Northern Samar. He recently filed House Bill No. 605 seeking to declare the Pinusilan Blue Lagoon in Mapanas town an official ecotourism site—an initiative he says could spur local jobs, protect biodiversity, and put the province on the map for sustainable tourism.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
