THE Philippines' Department of Tourism (DoT) received two awards at the esteemed GovMedia Conference & Awards 2024 for its flagship programs: the Tourist Rest Area (TRA), which provided convenience and comfort to tourists, and the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE) training program, which highlighted the country's commitment to elevating the standards of hospitality and service across the tourism and service industries.

DoT Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco personally received the awards and conveyed her gratitude for the recognition at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre on June 13.

"[On] behalf of the people of the Philippines, I would like to thank GovMedia Awards for this affirmation of the vision of our President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for tourism transformation, where every journey to the Philippines provides an enhanced overall tourism experience," Frasco said.

The TRA, a brainchild of Frasco, featured the provision for clean restrooms with showers for tourists in transit to different tourist destinations.

With the help of the government's tourism infrastructure arm, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza), and the DoT's strong partnership with local government units, there had been as many as 10 TRAs built in major tourist destinations across the Philippines with more than 20 expected to be built in the coming months.

Meanwhile, the FBSE training program was a game-changing initiative from DoT to provide excellent service to both local and international tourists visiting the Philippines.