TOURISM CODE IN THE EYES OF A TOUR GUIDE

(Erico Joseph T. Cañete)

TOURISM INDUSTRY in Bohol started in the late 90s. As it gradually grew, the Provincial Government saw the need to regulate its activities, hence, the adoption of the Bohol Environment Code and the the creation of Bohol Tourism Office in 1998. Consequent to this, ecotourism plans, tour packages, One Town One Product, etc, started to surface. But it was only in the early 2000s that tourism industry in Bohol took off. 

I became an accredited tour guide by the Department of Tourism in 2002 and consequently benefited by the bounty of tourism.

Yet, as years rolled by, Bohol’s tourism industry became aggregate, fragmented, diversified, and oftentimes disorderly due to the reduplication of tour packages, unhealthy competition, exaggerated capitalism, overpricing and high cost, poor service by unaccredited individuals (colorum tour guides) and business institutions, regulation lapses on foreign tourism business, and environmental and cultural issues. The glorious years of the industry gradually faded. Indeed, if these concerns would not be addressed, Bohol’s tourism industry will be defeated by forces from within. It’s downfall, God forbids, is attributed to us.

On top of the concerns mentioned above, for quite sometime, this representation together with the accredited tour guides’ associations, became a voice from the wilderness crying for a concrete legislative action that would regulate the tourism industry in our province. We cried for a legislation to protect the rights inherent in our profession as well as the protection of the business of the legitimate and DOT accredited tour operators against foreign investors. We claimed, “We can live co-harmoniously with them with proper regulations on their business interest”.

Then came December 22, 2025. 

The Bohol Sustainable Tourism Development Code of 2025 was finally approved on third and final reading. It was a product of a collaborative effort, with Hon. BM Atty. Jaime Aumentado Villamor as the prime mover, of the technical working group comprising the provincial lawmakers, heads of provincial offices, tourism stakeholders (business and private sectors), representatives from the LMP, VMLP, among others. 

The code addresses the concerns on tourism revenues, destination management, product development, environmental and cultural heritage protection, concerns of tour operators, tour guides, tourist providers, among others.

One of its highlights of the code is the provision that, “All tourism-related activities of foreign nationals shall be accompanied by a Filipino DOT accredited tour guide, while foreign tour guide shall only act as interpreter.” This is reflective to the battle cry of former President Carlos P. Garcia: “Filipino First Policy.” Or if I prefer, I would say, Boholano First Policy.

We rejoiced!

The code is a legal policy framework which will serve as basis of Bohol tourism municipal ordinances. It does not end in the code. In fact, it’s a beginning of a series of work formulating the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). In a deductive way, the code is the general legal policy framework which applies to the particular details of its IRR and the municipal ordinances. All municipal legislations then must be based on the code.

With the code, it is prayed that the four pillars of tourism would be addressed responding to the needs of the tourists, LGU’s role of legislation and implementation, benefit of the local business sectors, and the common good of the local community.

Kudos to all the members of the TWG especially the prime movers, the SP Committee on Tourism headed by Hon. BM Atty. Jaime Aumentado Villamor. 

Thank you for taking me, acting as representative of the VMLP President, as part of the TWG who served as auxiliary in the drafting of the code. 

Let’s continue inculcating the culture of tourism to our people all for the greater glory of our dear old Bohol.