Cebu and Misamis Occidental are now considered as the top tourist destinations in the country, according to the data from the Department of Tourism (DOT).

The data showed that Cebu Province has received over 748,006 foreign and local tourists this year and is famous among foreign tourist because of its world-class beach resorts and diving spots.

Misamis Occidental on the other hand is known for its waters and bountiful seafood and it has received 526,367 tourists. It is famous for its Layawan River in Oroquieta City that has been a recipient of national environment award and another place that draws tourists to this coastal province is Tangub City that has a livelier atmosphere during Christmas.

Among the famous tourist destinations in the country today are Baguio City that ranked 3rd on the list with 441,863 tourists; Aklan with its famous Boracay at 400,000 foreign and local tourists and followed by Davao with over 300,000 visitors.

DOT-7 regional diriector Patria Aurora Roa in a media interview said, Cebu has become what it is now because of the excellent public-private sector tandem in building and promoting tourism in Cebu. The governor, mayors, the PNP and other local officials have done their jobs.

"Coupled with the fact that the Tourism secretary Joseph "Ace" Durano is a native of Cebu has really promoted Cebu and other beautiful places in the country as tourism destinations," Roa added.

Roa further said that the presence of world-class facilities and an international airport made Cebu very attractive to tourists.

The successful hosting of the ASEAN Summit and the influx of international conventions held in Cebu this year have contributed to the increase in tourists arrivals here. "We also have our own way of hosting cultural shows, food, heritage sites among others that also help in attracting more tourists to Cebu," Roa added.

"We are expecting more tourists in 2008 because there are already scheduled international events and gatherings that will be held in Cebu," she said.

Based on the same DOT data, over six million Filipinos have visited various tourist destinations in the country. In 2006, Cebu had 559,000 foreign tourists and 1.1 million domestic visitors.

In similar developments, Finance secretary Margarito Teves reported that soaring oil and food prices in the world market are expected to put a damper on the country's economic growth next year.

However, despite the chilly forecasts of a downturn in the global economy next year, government's economic planners remain confident that the country's economy would be able to ride out the storm by cashing in on the booming tourism and real estate sectors, among others, Teves added.

But he also explained that the government has put up measures not only to soften the impact of the expected oil and food price surges, but also to ensure that the domestic economic upswing remains on track.

"We will therefore have to look to more aggressive spending on public infrastructure in 2008…encouraging tourism investments and policies to promote tourist arrivals," Teves said.

He pointed out that the business sector is basically optimistic over the long-term prospects of the Philippine economy as "there has also been keen interest from foreign investors particularly in tourism development and real estate."