More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.
The pandemic hit Gen Z hard affecting their transition into adulthood. Now an art exhibit is exploring that situation.
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Gallery officially opened “INI-ININ” on April 6, 2026, a compelling exhibition by the Butil Collective that examines the lived realities of Generation Z entering adulthood during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On view until April 30, the showcase features a diverse collection of paintings, stoneware, sculptures, and didactic materials that capture a generation’s sense of dislocation during years marked by global disruption and uncertainty.
The exhibition centers on the concept of pag-inin, a Filipino term describing a state of transition or being “in-between.” During the opening remarks, Vernon Perez explained that inin represents a state “where one is no longer who they were, yet not quite who they are becoming.”
This metaphor, traditionally used for rice that is neither fully raw nor fully cooked, serves as a reflection of how young people navigated unfamiliar emotional landscapes when the pandemic suspended their formative years.
“For many Gen Zs, time appeared suspended, only to resume abruptly, leaving them to confront a reality that felt both overwhelming and unresolved,” the collective stated regarding the theme of the exhibit.
Curated by Rya Contreras, the exhibition features works from artists Andree Tiongson, Angelica Jacoba, Asaliah, Chesca Hernandez, Carlos Villaluz, Galan Maigue, Georgina Pomarejos, Jea Gavina, Kalila Camilon, and Sophia Sotolomba.
Each artist contributes a personal narrative to a layered portrait of introspection and memory, bridging individual stories with broader social realities shaped by years of isolation and screen-mediated interaction.
Contreras acknowledged that the platform provided by the NCCA was vital for these artists, many of whom faced significant creative and personal constraints during the lockdowns.
“Institutional support has been vital in providing platforms for creative expression during a time when many artists faced significant constraints,” Contreras noted during the opening ceremony, which featured a traditional untying of cloth to signal the start of the show.
“INI-ININ” stands as a collective response to the loss of time and interrupted growth experienced by contemporary youth. By exploring themes of absence and agency, the members of Butil Collective aim to make sense of a period defined by transition.
The NCCA Gallery, located in Intramuros, invites the public to engage with these reflections on identity and the enduring impact of the pandemic through the end of the month.
Who didn't experience "time appear(ing) suspended, only to resume abruptly, leaving them to confront a reality that felt both overwhelming and unresolved?" Where is our art exhibit?
Not only have emergency health allowances been delayed but pandemic-era economic obligations to jeepney drivers also remain delayed.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government tapped public utility vehicles (PUVs) to provide free transportation to commuters under a service contracting program.
Amid rising fuel costs linked to tensions in the Middle East, the government is reviving the program. This time, it comes with a 20% discount, unlike the free transportation service before.
But some operators who participated in the service contracting program during the pandemic said they have yet to be paid by the government.
Mega Manila Consortium Corporation spokesperson Juliet De Jesus said in a radio interview with DZMM that the government under then-president Rodrigo Duterte still owes member-operators at least P32 million for free bus rides along EDSA.
So what caused the delay in payments?
Department of Transportation Undersecretary Mark Steven Pastor said in a press conference on Friday, April 10, that in the early days of the service contracting program during the pandemic, many vehicles operated without GPS tracking because of the immediate need for public transportation.
This led to discrepancies between data reported by operators and records held by the government.
Pastor, who led the service contracting program during the pandemic, said GPS devices were installed only later on.
He added that payment computations were also more complex at that time, since the program covered fully free rides for commuters.
De Jesus said that funds intended for contracted operators were returned by then–Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chairman Martin Delgra III to the Department of Budget and Management.
The service contracting program was first launched under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, also known as Bayanihan 2, to help public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers affected by the pandemic.
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chair Vigor Mendoza III said that the agency is already investigating the issue. Mendoza targets a three- to five-day turnaround for payments to contracted PUV operators.
In 2021, during the pandemic, some jeepney drivers also reported delays in payment, as well as inadequate payments.
To make sure that the delays and inconsistencies in recording would be avoided, a government-contracted vehicle is required to install a GPS device. Payments will be processed via online banking or e-wallet transfers.
Under the revived scheme, the government will compensate PUV operators and drivers based on distance traveled, with rates varying depending on the type of vehicle.
And it's all because poor jeepney drivers who likely can't afford GPS did not use GPS which was required to track their movements! That's some red tape right there.
Another pandemic-era community kitchen has returned.
Amid the rising cost of basic goods, Cainta, Rizal Mayor Kit Nieto resumed the “One Cainta Pantry” feeding program to provide residents with free dinners and help ease the daily expenses of families.
Nieto said the town pantry would go around different areas of the town every Monday to Friday throughout the year, starting at 5 p.m., to serve free dinner to up to 300 residents.
To ensure a clean and spacious area for food preparation, the mayor ordered the reopening of the central kitchen at One Arena, where General Services Office staff will handle daily meal preparation to help reduce costs.
The mayor said the program will be served buffet-style and encouraged residents who will line up to bring their own plates and utensils.
“To help cut costs, residents are advised to bring their own plates and utensils. Meals are served buffet-style to prevent taking more than the allotted portion,” Nieto said.
The mayor added that each municipal department will be assigned a schedule to assist in food serving and distribution, saying this also aims to give government personnel a better understanding of the daily struggles faced by residents.
“This program will run throughout the year. Providing a family with even one dinner already goes a long way in easing their daily expenses,” he stated.
Meanwhile, he said he will not attend all distribution activities, as he aims to preserve the program’s integrity and keep it free from political use.
The program was relaunched last Friday, April 10, at San Buena Compound in Barangay Sto. Domingo, with the next stop set in Gruar.
Originally launched before the COVID-19 pandemic, the program began on January 30, 2019, along Westbank Road in Barangay San Andres.
The twist is that it began just before the pandemic started.
The Philippines tourism sector is slowly recovering from the pandemic "but structural weaknesses in infrastructure, connectivity, and governance continue to hold the sector back from reaching its full potential."
The Philippines is recovering from the pandemic-era tourism slump, but structural weaknesses in infrastructure, connectivity, and governance continue to hold the sector back from reaching its full potential, according to a study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).
The study, titled “Philippine Tourism Sectoral Review (2000–2025): From Promise to Power — Accelerating the Philippines’ Tourism Transformation toward Sustainability, Competitiveness, and Inclusion,” was presented during a recent PIDS webinar by Senior Research Fellow Dr. John Paolo Rivera.
“Tourism recovery is real… we are not maximizing that growth,” Rivera said in a PIDS press release. “The issue here is not just demand. The issue here is systems.”
Recovery without traction
In 2024, the Philippines ranked seventh among Association of Southeast Asian Nations members in international visitor arrivals, welcoming 5.9 million tourists. That figure placed the country well behind Thailand at 35.5 million, Malaysia at 25 million, and Vietnam at 17.5 million.
The country’s post-pandemic recovery rate of 72.02 percent also trailed behind Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand.
While the Philippines ranked first in ASEAN for tourism’s overall GDP contribution, generating USD 78 billion in 2023 driven largely by its domestic market, it placed only fifth in international visitor expenditures at USD 11.3 billion.
The World Economic Forum’s 2024 Travel & Tourism Development Index ranked the Philippines 69th out of 119 economies globally, pulled down by a low score of 1.55 out of 7 in tourism services and infrastructure.
Rivera pointed to persistent structural gaps: fewer arrivals relative to regional peers, lower spending per visitor, shorter stays, and slower investment flows. He said the country’s underperformance stems not from weak potential but from weak systems.
“We are underperforming not because of weak potential… [but] because of weak systems,” he said.
Revenues have surged to nearly PHP 700 billion in recent years, driven largely by domestic tourism, which has served as the backbone of the sector’s rebound.
Weak links in the chain
Yet inbound tourism, the main source of higher-value spending and foreign exchange, remains constrained by limited airport capacity, high travel costs, weak inter-island connectivity, and investment friction.
Discussant Dr. Maria Cherry Lyn Rodolfo of the Asian Institute of Management said tourism performance is fundamentally a system and network issue, not a branding problem.
“Connectivity policy is actually tourism policy,” she stressed.
In an archipelago of more than 7,600 islands, with nearly all international visitors arriving by air, tourism is experienced as a chain — from international access to domestic transport and local services.
“In a network, the performance is determined by the weakest link,” Rodolfo said.
The study identified specific bottlenecks, including airport capacity constraints and a lack of direct flight routes connecting international markets to destinations beyond major gateways, as well as inadequate inter-island transport that drives up travel costs and inconveniences visitors.
Uneven infrastructure development concentrates tourists into a few highly visited areas, leading to overtourism and environmental pressures in hotspots like Cebu, Bohol, and Boracay while leaving other high-potential regions underdeveloped.
Department of Tourism Region III Director Dr. Richard Daenos emphasized that the challenge also lies in execution.
“We would like to focus on something that is not negotiable, and this is to fix infrastructure first,” he said, noting that without these fundamentals, even strong marketing efforts will have limited impact.
“This cannot be done at the same time, not everything at once,” Daenos added, underscoring the need to sequence reforms strategically.
Niche markets, untapped edges
He cited priority segments where the Philippines has a competitive edge, including island and beach tourism, diving, community-based tourism, and cultural and culinary experiences.
The study highlighted several emerging niche markets that could help diversify offerings and attract higher-spending tourists.
Culinary tourism pilot programs in places like Iloilo, which showcase iconic dishes like La Paz Batchoy and Pancit Molo alongside local seafood, and Bohol’s Loboc River Cruise, which merges dining with music and nature, are helping build global recognition for Filipino cuisine.
Farm tourism hubs like the La Trinidad Strawberry Farm in Benguet and Damires Hills in Iloilo allow tourists to experience rural life through crop picking and eco-recreation, creating climate-smart livelihoods for local farmers.
Adventure tourism leverages the country’s diverse topography through activities like canyoneering at Kawasan Falls in Cebu, spelunking in Sagada, and ATV rides around Mayon Volcano.
Dark tourism sites linked to history and resilience, including Corregidor Island, Camiguin’s Sunken Cemetery, and the Liberty Shrine in Mactan, are also drawing growing global interest.
Medical tourism, meanwhile, leverages affordable, high-quality healthcare facilities and English-speaking professionals to provide coordinated care for international patients.
Fixing the system, not just the pitch
Commission on Higher Education Technical Panel for Tourism and Hospitality Management Member Dr. Maria Christina Aquino reinforced the need for a whole-of-system approach.
“It takes a village to raise tourism,” she said.
Aquino pointed to gaps in workforce development, accreditation systems, infrastructure, and destination planning, as well as the concentration of tourism benefits in a few major hubs.
The study recommended a coordinated, whole-of-government approach involving the Department of Tourism, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Public Works and Highways to modernize airports, upgrade seaport infrastructure, and develop road networks linking tourism areas.
It also called for bridging connectivity gaps through public-private partnerships and integrating regional tourism circuits into the national Public Investment Program and the “Build, Better, More” portfolio.
The study recommended revising the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority charter to expand PPP models and local investment portfolios, and urged Congress to craft a “tourism circuit development and investment act” that provides targeted incentives for multi-LGU tourism clusters and infrastructure corridors.
To address fragmented local governance, the study proposed establishing inter-LGU tourism councils secured through memoranda of agreement, harmonizing local tourism codes with the National Tourism Development Plan 2023–2028, and creating permanent plantilla positions for local tourism officers to ensure institutional continuity.
The NTDP’s nine strategic pillars cover improved tourism experience, enhanced connectivity, workforce development, authentic tourism experiences, digitalization, high-value tourism, enhanced promotions, sustainable and resilient tourism, and greater collaboration across national agencies, LGUs, and global partners.
The study also called for mainstreaming digital innovation, including the development of a tourist lifecycle app, integration of financial technologies, and improved internet access across destinations.
It emphasized institutionalizing the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence, which blends core Filipino values like compassion, empathy, and respect with practical service skills for frontline workers.
Among the regions benefiting most from domestic tourism growth are CALABARZON, Central Visayas, the Bicol Region, Central Luzon, and the Davao Region.
Tourism-specific products, including shopping, accommodation, passenger transport, and food and beverage, account for 70 percent of the country’s Tourism Direct Gross Value Added. Tourism-related products make up the remaining 30 percent.
“Tourism has always been the fastest driver of employment… but only if tourism is treated as a national economic strategy — not just a sector,” Rivera said.
If all the internal infrastructure is weak how was the Philippines able to be such a hot spot destination before the pandemic? Essentially PIDS is saying the tourism sector is recovering slowly because the nation is backwards which is not something quickly and easily fixed.
