DOT Proposes Establishment Of Special "Tourist Court"

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has proposed the establishment of a "24/7 special court" to facilitate the swift resolution of cases involving tourists.

As of August 19 this year, the Philippines has registered a total of 3,860,730 international visitors, of which 92.05% or 3,553,720 are foreigners.

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco stated, "We are now working with the Department of Justice (DOJ), and we will be collaborating with the judiciary department for the establishment of a 24-hour tourist court for the resolution of crimes related to our tourists."

The DOT is also strengthening police forces in strategic locations, especially in areas with a high concentration of tourists, she added.

Frasco reported that over 8,000 police personnel under the department’s Tourist Oriented Police for Community Order and Protection (TOPCOP) program have been trained to provide immediate assistance during incidents involving tourists.

Additionally, the DOT has trained 270 barangay tanods and barangay intelligence network members who will serve as police multipliers.

"We know that the number of police personnel compared to the actual population is not enough, which is why we are expanding this program to include the barangay tanods and barangay intelligence network multipliers in the training," she highlighted.

Frasco noted that as of August 19 this year, the Philippines has registered a total of 3,860,730 international visitors, of which 92.05% or 3,553,720 are foreigners, while the remaining 7.95% or 307,010 are overseas Filipinos.

The top 10 tourist source markets, she said, are South Korea, the United States, Japan, China, Australia, Taiwan, Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Malaysia.