Philippine Tourism Authority

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

**Philippine Tourism Authority**

Established:	May 11, 1973
General Manager:	Robert Dean S. Barbers
Website:	http://www.philtourism.gov.ph

The Philippine Tourism Authority (Filipino: Pangasiwaang Pilipino sa Turismo), abbreviated as PTA, is an agency of the Philippine government under the Department of Tourism responsible for implementing policies and programs of the department pertaining to the development, promotion, and supervision of tourism projects in the Philippines.

1 History
2 See also
3 External links
4 References

[edit] History

The Philippine Tourism Authority was created on May 11, 1973 pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 189 as amended by Presidential Decree No. 564. As the implementing arm of the Department of Tourism, it implements policies and programs of the department pertaining to the development, promotion, and supervision of tourism projects in the Philippines.

The PTA is envisioned to ba a self sustaining government corporation, contributing to the national development objectives, serves as the epitome of public service as it pioneers sustainable, environmentally responsible, socially responsive and culturally catalytic tourism development.

Its functions are:

to develop identified priority areas;
to operate, maintain, and promote facilities in pioneering capacity;
to provide technical and financial assistance to qualified tourism projects; and
to generate revenues to fund national and corporate development undertakings.

On January 31, 2008, the Supreme Court of the Philippines ruled that Robert Dean Barbers is the legitimate head of the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA).^[1] On May 2, 2008, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointed Department of Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, general manager of the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA), after Robert Dean Barbers' term expired.^[2] Durano, on June 3, 2008, announced that Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointed defeated Pampanga former governor Mark Lapid (son of Senator Lito Lapid), acting general manager of the Philippine Tourism Authority.^[3] Lapid takes over from Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano.^[4]