RIYADH, 10 July — An Overseas Filipino Worker gets a chance to win $10,000 by participating in the Volunteer 12 (V-12) program launched by the Philippine Department of Tourism.
This program invites each OFW to bring at least one tourist to the Philippines each year. The assumption is that if each of the estimated 7 million Filipinos abroad would each bring one tourist, that would translate to 7 million tourists.
In the Middle East alone, with over a million OFW’s, if each will bring a tourist, it means one million tourists, or half of the all-time high of 2.2 million tourists the Philippines received in 1997.
Aside from the chance to win $10,000, the OFW (volunteer) will be entitled to $100 non-cash shopping privilege at the Duty Free Philippines, round trip tickets (to and from the Philippines), and free hotel accommodations.
In addition, both the volunteer and the guest will get a card that entitles them to rewards and discounts at participating companies including airlines, land and sea transportation services, restaurants, shops and others.
OFW’s, however, must bring someone holding a foreign passport. OFW’s cannot invite a fellow OFW because the visitor will be considered a balikbayan, not a tourist.
According to the V-12 newsletter, since August 2001 when the program was launched by the Department of Tourism, there are now more than 7,000 tourism volunteers.
Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon launched the V-12 program amid a decline in the number of tourists visiting the Philippines amid threats of kidnappings and robbery.
The Philippine Consulate in Jeddah has formed its Economic Diplomacy Unit, which can provide more information on the V-12 program. The EDU can be contacted at telephone number 660-0348.