Latest News
Philippines beefs up security effort, open for collaborations to sustain top South Korean market
Cebu City- In its push to nurture the 15-year-long record of South Korea as the countryโs top market, Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco sat down with executives of the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism on Thursday (Jan. 29) as part of the high-level meetings at the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2026 in Cebu City.
The bilateral meeting with Korea was led by Vice Minister H.E. Kim Dae Hyun who focused on potential collaborations on expanding air connectivity and addressing pertinent issues affecting tourism.
Recognizing the importance of the South Korean travelers to local enterprises and workers, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco highlighted the Departmentโs continuous efforts to prioritize the safety of tourists and reinforce the Philippines as a safe and reliable destination.
โConsidering how much South Koreans have loved the Philippines, and that love is certainly mutual, we do view with grave concern the travel alerts that are given to our tourist destinations, as a result perhaps of isolated incidents. We express our governmentโs unequivocal position on prioritizing the safety and welfare of our tourists,โ Secretary Frasco said.
In its effort to extend support for visiting foreigners, the Department has beefed up its Tourist-Oriented Police for Community Order and Protection (TOPCOP) program by teaching them how to speak Korean.
Launched in partnership with the Korean Culture Center (KCC), the initiative aims to strengthen the capacity of security personnel to effectively engage with Korean tourists, particularly in popular destinations such as Cebu, Boracay, Palawan, Davao, Bohol, and Clark.
This complements the Tourist Assistance Call Center (TACC) program, which also has a Korean-speaking agent who can respond to immediate needs of tourists.
