Sen. Nancy Binay on Friday urged the Department of Tourism (DOT) to review the P1.5-billion tourism-oriented project approved by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) for the Nayong Pilipino Park.
This was in line with the Nayong Pilipino Foundation’s (NPF) mandated purpose to showcase Filipino culture and explore alternate sources of income.
“Given their fiscal situation now, I would side with COA’s opinion that Nayong Pilipino needs to come up with alternative revenue sources for its operations because if there is no concrete plan or project to have an income and no movement to have sustainable operations, their funds will all be lost,” Binay said.
Binay, chair of the Senate tourism committee, also said the DOT can also look into NPF’s financial and sales projections in the next five to 10 years.
The DOT, she also said, can inquire into the other activities that crossline the department’s programs, and the corporate function that somehow duplicates what other agencies are already doing.
“More than anything else, with income coming from several pieces of prime assets that they own and lease out—including the 15-hectare property they own in Bay City/Aseana which awaits to be developed—the NPF is supposedly a self-sustaining GOCC,” Binay said.
Sen. Chiz Escudero said the government can always appropriate money thru the GAA if that is their policy and program.
But, in the meantime, he said the DOT and GCG should go over the COA report and see how to improve its current situation
Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel III everything should be studied first.
Sen. Win Gatchalian said that should be privatized as the private sector is better equipped to manage commercial establishments such as Nayong Pilipino.
“In my view, Nayong Pilipino should still be maintained because it provides an important educational experience for our learners, I personally have fond memories of that facility when I was still in school, also said Gatchslian.
Meanwhile, Binay said NPF needs to think out of the box to generate a decent income—but the first step is not getting out of the box.
“The most important first step for NPF is to ‘Think’.
