Philippines wins Five major awards in WTA 2024 in Portugal

Philippines named as the world's leading dive destination at 2024 World Travel Awards

Story by Melanie Uson 
Philstar Life
28 November 2024

The Philippines has been awarded as the world’s leading dive destination for the sixth time. 

DOT Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco shared the good news during the Department of Tourism (DOT)’s launch of their Philippine Dive Experience (PhiDex) on Nov. 28. 

“For the sixth consecutive year, the World Travel Awards (WTA) considered the Oscars of the travel industry, has just awarded the Philippines as the world's leading dive destination for 2024,” Garcia Frasco said.  

The prestigious award-giving body recognized the country during its Grand Final Gala Ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 27 (Philippine time) at Madeira, Portugal. DOT’s Gerard Panga received the award.

The Philippines bested 10 other nominated destinations, including the Maldives, Belize, and the Cayman Islands. It also bagged five other awards this year. Boracay was named the World's Leading Luxury Island Destination 2024, Amanpulo the World’s Leading Dive Resort, and Manila the World's Leading City Destination 2024. 

Meanwhile, the City of Dreams in Pasay was awarded the World’s Leading Casino Resort, and the DOT as the World's Leading Tourist Board 2024. 

The recognition was based on public votes and validation from the group’s panel of travel professionals. 

The Philippines has consistently been recognized with the same recognition since 2019. It was also recently recognized as Asia’s leading dive destination during the Asia and Oceania gala ceremony in September this year.  

Since its creation in 1993, the WTA has been globally recognized as the "ultimate hallmark of excellence" in the tourism and hospitality industries. It covers country awards, regional awards, and world awards. 

PH rises 31 spots in UN e-Participation index

PH rises 31 spots in UN e-Participation index

TED CORDERO
GMA Integrated News 
27 November 2024

The Philippines has risen 31 places in the 2024 2024 United Nations (UN) e-Participation Index (EPI) amid improved digital governance.

The UN described EPI as an index that offer insights into how different countries are using online tools in promoting interaction between the government and its people, as well as among the people, for the benefit of all.

Out of 193 countries evaluated, the Philippines ranked 49th this year in EPI from 80th in 2022.

Moreover, the country advanced 16 places in the 2024 UN E-Government Development Index (EGDI), where it climbed to 73rd spot from 89th in 2022.

The country achieved an EGDI score of 0.7621, exceeding the global average of 0.6382.

The UN’s EGDI measures online service delivery, telecommunication connectivity, and human capacity.

In a statement, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan John Uy said the Philippines’ advancement in the UN’s digital governance rankings was “a testament to the government’s efforts to enhance digital transformation.”

"This milestone underscores our dedication to making government services more accessible, transparent, and participatory for every Filipino," said Uy.

The DICT chief attributed the country’s digital governance ranking improvement to the eGov Super App — the agency’s flagship platform integrating national and local government services.

The app offers various services, including business registration, tourism information, job creation tools, travel declarations, and e-commerce features.

For his part, DICT Undersecretary David Almirol said the eGov Super App aggregates existing systems using Single Sign-On (SSO) and API integration, allowing seamless access to government services while maintaining compatibility with current agency systems.

Almirol said the DICT is also working with the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Tourism and the Bureau of Immigration to incorporate the Philippine eVisa Portal into the app, simplifying the visa application process for tourists and supporting the country’s tourism sector.

The eGov Super App is an online one-stop shop, also facilitates local government services, such as applying for permits, certifications, and clearances.

Partnerships with agencies like the Department of Health, Department of Labor and Employment, Philippine Health Insurance Corp., and Professional Regulation Commission have expanded the app’s offerings to include resume-building tools for job seekers, eKonsulta for health benefits, and a unified travel declaration system for travelers.

S&P upgraded Philippine credit rating

Philippines credit outlook upgraded to positive

Keisha Ta-Asan
PhilStar Global
27 November 2024

MANILA, Philippines — S&P Global Ratings has raised the Philippines’ credit rating outlook to positive from stable, increasing the possibility of an upgrade in the next 12 to 24 months.

In a report, the New York-based debt watcher affirmed its “BBB+” long-term investment grade rating and “A-2” short-term sovereign credit ratings on the Philippines.

“The positive outlook reflects our improved assessment of institutional and policy settings in the Philippines. This improvement could lead to stronger sovereign support over the next 12 to 24 months if the Philippine economy maintains its external strength, healthy growth rates and that fiscal performance will strengthen,” it said.

S&P said it might raise the Philippines’ ratings if current account deficits taper off and the government achieves faster fiscal consolidation.

On the other hand, the debt watcher could revise the outlook back to stable if economic growth momentum weakens or if the current account deficit becomes persistent and erodes the country’s external balance sheet.

However, S&P believes the Philippines has demonstrated strong economic recovery in the last two years.

“The ratings on the Philippines reflect the country’s above-average economic growth potential. This strength underpins constructive development outcomes. The ratings also benefit from the country’s strong external position,” it said.

The credit rating agency projects the Philippines’ gross domestic product (GDP) to grow by 5.5 percent this year before picking up to six percent in 2025, 6.2 percent in 2026 and 6.5 percent in 2027.

According to S&P, growth is expected to be supported by private consumption and improving external demand. GDP per capita could rise to about $4,119 this year and $4,478 in 2025.

“The country has a diversified economy with a strong record of high and stable growth. This reflects supportive policy dynamics and an improving investment climate,” it said.

Data from the local statistics agency showed GDP growth slowed to 5.2 percent in the third quarter from 6.4 percent in the previous quarter and six percent a year ago. From January to September, GDP expansion averaged 5.8 percent.

S&P also sees inflation at 3.3 percent this year, 3.1 percent in 2025, 3.2 percent in 2026 and three percent in 2027. All forecasts are within the two to four percent target of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).