ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE – Dapitan City Mayor Seth Frederick Jalosjos expressed optimism about the prospects of boosting tourism in Dapitan City following a recent visit by a group of foreign armed forces attachés. This visit comes as Dapitan City and the province of Zamboanga del Norte found their way onto the list of destinations for the Foreign Armed Forces Attachés (FAFA) group, representing various nations from around the world.
Foreign armed forces attachés, often referred to as military diplomats, are designated by their home countries’ ambassadors to study and monitor activities in areas they visit. They gather information and subsequently send reports to their respective embassies.
These attachés also play a crucial role in providing travel advisories to their country’s residents about the safety of foreign destinations.
It’s worth noting that the entire island of Mindanao has been included in travel advisories issued by Canada, advising against travel to this region due to security concerns. Other nations, including those in Europe and Australia, are currently studying whether to include Mindanao in their travel advisories.
Mayor Seth Frederick Jalosjos of Dapitan City expressed gratitude for the presence of the FAFA group. He emphasized that despite the city’s beautiful scenery, landmarks, and rich historical stories, the challenge lies in overcoming the stigma and travel advisories issued by various countries.
In his statement, Mayor Jalosjos highlighted the importance of the FAFA’s visit. “It may be very hard for us to promote our city although we have all the beautiful sceneries, all the beautiful landmarks, all the historical stories that we have to tell, but the problem is always the stigma and the travel advisory ban of all these countries. So we are blessed, lucky, and honored that the FAFA are here to advise their ambassadors, their countries that Dapitan is safe and Zamboanga del Norte.”
The FAFA Corps visited Dapitan City to assess the safety and security of the area and provide feedback that could influence future travel advisories. The visit aimed to evaluate the peace and order situation not only in Dapitan City but also in the entire province of Zamboanga del Norte as a potential safe tourist destination.
Colonel Geajaindren Mariapan, the Singapore Defense Attaché to the Philippines and Dean of the FAFA Corps, commended the safety and security of Dapitan City. He described it as a hidden gem that’s safe and secure for visitors. “I’d like to reiterate that this place is actually very safe, very secure, and we are thoroughly enjoying ourselves.”
The visit was attended by 16 foreign military attachés from various countries, including Australia, Brunei, China, Indonesia, Israel, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Germany, and Poland.
