The Department of Tourism is seeking about P6 billion to fund tourism road projects as it pushes to improve access to destinations and address infrastructure gaps that could limit the country’s tourism growth.
The funding request covers 28 infrastructure projects that were previously expected to receive financing through the Department of Public Works and Highways. The projects were instead shifted to the DOT’s proposed 2027 budget, but the amount was not included in the National Expenditure Program.
Tourism Undersecretary Maria Victoria Jasmin said the funding gap has become a major concern because the agency continues to promote destinations while many areas still face inadequate roads and connectivity. The projects are intended to improve access to tourist sites, including emerging destinations that the government wants to develop.
The issue reflects a broader challenge for the tourism sector: attracting visitors is difficult if destinations lack the roads and basic infrastructure needed to accommodate them. DOT regional offices have been coordinating with other government agencies to identify infrastructure requirements and improve access to potential tourism areas.
The proposed funding also comes amid changes in how tourism road projects are being handled. In previous years, the Tourism Road Infrastructure Program was largely implemented through the DPWH, with projects jointly identified by the DPWH and DOT based on tourism priorities. The program covers the construction, reconstruction, upgrading and improvement of roads and bridges leading to declared tourism destinations.
The shift has raised concerns within the tourism sector because funding for new tourism roads has repeatedly fallen short of what the DOT says is needed. In 2025, lawmakers called for the restoration of a P6-billion allocation for tourism roads after concerns that insufficient funding could slow infrastructure development, particularly in regions outside major tourism gateways.
Previous tourism road investments have already produced significant infrastructure. Data presented by the DOT showed that 882.28 kilometers of tourism roads were completed from 2022 to 2024, with more than P46 billion spent on continuing construction under the program.
For the DOT, the current funding gap is therefore not only about building additional roads. It is also about ensuring that tourism promotion, infrastructure development and investment planning move together.
Without adequate access roads, destinations promoted as new tourism areas may struggle to attract visitors, businesses and investment. Securing funding for the proposed projects would allow the government to improve connectivity while supporting the development of communities that depend on tourism-related economic activity.
