PATA Philippines Chapter: Tourism Turns 50 Fashionably
Philippines, 24 May 2023- In celebration of 50 years of Philippine Tourism this month, the Industry’s stakeholders took a fashionable break from the daily grind and staged a glittering affair for a noble purpose.
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) - Philippines Chapter came up with an attractive way to mark the Tourism Industry’s golden year through a dinner event, “PATA GALA - A Fashion Show with a Heart” at the Ballroom of The Manila Hotel. It gathered together the leading Tourism personalities and put up a dazzling show that drew in an overflow crowd. The main objective of the milestone event was to raise funds for the organization’s dozens of Tourism scholars currently enrolled in various universities in Metro Manila. Moreover, the boatmen of Pagsanjan Falls, who lost their livelihood during the pandemic, will also benefit from this golden anniversary celebration because part of the proceeds will fund PATA’s skills upgrading programs to accelerate the boatmen’s recovery from almost three years of zero earnings due to the pandemic.
The dinner fashion show highlighted the beautiful creations of young artists from the Fashion Institute of the Philippines and those of celebrity designers, Renee Salud and Philip Rodriguez. A total of twenty models, all leading personalities of our Tourism Industry, showcased our country’s beautiful textile and weaves.
Philip Rodriguez © with his models (L-R) Bluewater Resorts VP Margie Munsayac, PAL COO & President Stanley Ng,
TPB COO Marga Nograles and Civil Service Commission Chair Karlo Nograles
Renee Salud © with his models (L-R) PAL VP Ria Domingo, Okada Manila’s Cielo Reboredo, Megaworld’s Cleofe Albiso, Tourism Sec. Frasco, Deputy House Speaker Cong. Duke Frasco, Hotel 101 Group GM Gel Gomez, Chroma Hospitality’s Carmela Bocanegra and PATA Philippines Chairperson Pat Alberto
Parading down the ramp were Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco; Tourism Promotions Board COO Marga Nograles; Hotel 101 Global Group GM Geraldine Gomez; Megaworld Hotels & Resorts MD Cleofe Albiso; Davao Tourism Association VP Nicole Ledesma; Conrad Manila Commercial Director Joanne Gomez; Bluewater Resorts VP Sales & Marketing Margie Munsayac; PATA Philippines Chapter Chair Pat Alberto; PAL VP Marketing Ria Domingo; Chroma Hospitality Group VP Sales & Marketing Carmela Bocanegra; and Okada Manila VP Sales & Marketing Cielo Reboredo.
Capping the highly successful event was Tourism Secretary Frasco, in her Renee Salud Filipiniana, who shared the good news
of the Industry’s exemplary performance with the jampacked crowd of Tourism stakeholders
The debonaire gentlemen on the ramp were Deputy House Speaker Congressman Duke Frasco; Civil Service Commission Chair Karlo Nograles; PAL COO & President Capt. Stanley Ng; PAL Manager Brian Solis; Air Asia Financial Officer Ray Berja; PAL VP Sales Bud Britanico; Hotel 101 Global Senior Sales Manager Philip Olimpiada; Air Asia Spokesperson Steve Dailisan; and DOT Usec. Shalimar Tamano.
Wear Your Culture’s Alvin Degamo (2 nd from L) with his models (L-R) Hotel 101’s Philip Olimpiada, Civil Service
Commission Chair Karlo Nograles and DOT Usec. Shalimar Tamano
This first-of-a-kind fashion celebration from our country’s tourism stakeholders is the Industry’s biggest social event this year, and was preceded by Cocktails which featured wines from Le Cellier and craft beer from the popular Engkanto Brewery. A silent auction of expensive jewelry, de luxe tour packages and international airline tickets was also held during the Cocktails. Of course, the customary raffle of valuable luxury hotel packages, airline tickets and lifestyle gadgets was conducted, much to the delight of the eager crowd.
Tourism Secretary Frasco later shared the good news with the jampacked crowd of stakeholders that the Industry is bouncing back faster than expected and that our country is well on its way to experiencing once again the pre-pandemic volume of visitors that has made our Tourism Industry a major revenue source.
PATA is currently the biggest travel organization in the world, with a membership of close to 10,000 coming from 55 chapters in different countries. It traces its history back to 1951 when it was first established in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Philippines Chapter, with approximately 100 carefully selected members, has existed since 1973 and lays claim to being the only tourism organization in the country that has tourism schools as members, in line with its advocacy of developing the culture of tourism among our youth. Membership to and additional information from PATA Philippines Chapter may be obtained through the Secretariat 09563409010.
PATA Philippines Chapter past and present Chairpersons, Bob Zozobrado and Pat Alberto, respectively
The highly successful celebration was staged with the full support of the Department of Tourism, Tourism Infrastructure Enterprise Zone Authority, Tourism Promotions Board, Distileria Limtuaco, The Manila Hotel, Magical Gems, PAGCOR, Henann Resorts, Philippine Airlines, Engkanto Brewery, Cebu Pacific, Wear Your Culture, Deluks Turizm and Infinite Travel