POLITICKING might influence or hinder other cities and provinces from visiting the city, Councilor Al Ryan Alejandre said Tuesday.
This was after a participant had withdrawn their application for the Indak-Indak sa Kadayawan open category due to financial constraints.
Al Ryan Alejandre, the city council committee on tourism and beautification said some local government units do not provide support to contingents coming from their area, knowing finances involved in Kadayawan is not a joke.
“It really matters on the finances, kay ang ubang entries have no support from their LGU, ilaha lang on their own,” he said.
Alejandre expressed confusion as to the withdrawal since the prizes for Indak-Indak this year were increased from P1 million in 2023 to P1.1 million.
He added that this can also be attributed to political issues, hence, the LGU executive chief would not endorse their participation.
The councilor clarified this also happens with the meetings and conferences where some LGUs are prohibited from conducting conventions in the city, according to his source.
“Kung mangayo og DILG endorsement going to Davao, they would not allow it,” he said.
He confirmed there have been two LGUs who were not provided endorsement from DILG, however, he refused to disclose the names.
Alejandre said this will affect the city’s tourism if this continues, as every government activity to be conducted in other cities, should have to be endorsed by DILG.
“Dili lang unta i-politika ang negosyante sa Davao kay it would really lose our jobs and those of the private sector,” he said.
To recall, Mayor Sebastian Duterte reported in his SOCA, that from June 2023 to May 2024, the city hosted 4,105 Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) events, nearly doubling the 2,156 events from the previous year, which helped the city recuperate with its tourism industry since the COVID-19 pandemic.
