SAN ANTONIO, Zambales — Zambales Gov. Hermogenes E. Ebdane Jr. urged tourism officials across Central Luzon to strengthen local governance, invest in strategic infrastructure and adopt smart tourism practices to transform global economic and environmental challenges into opportunities for sustainable growth.

Speaking during the 2026 Association of Tourism Officers of Central Luzon Conference (ATOCELCON), Ebdane, who also chairs the Regional Development Council (RDC) III, said the tourism sector continues to face pressures from geopolitical tensions, rising energy costs, supply chain disruptions, changing travel trends and climate change.

“Central Luzon will not merely react to global disruptions; we will absorb them, adapt to them, and lead through them,” Ebdane told tourism officers and local government delegates.

He said the RDC III has aligned the Regional Development Plan 2023-2028 with the national AmBisyon Natin 2040 vision by positioning Central Luzon as a leading agri-industrial hub, global gateway and sustainable tourism destination.

Ebdane emphasized the role of infrastructure in improving tourism connectivity, citing major regional projects such as the expansion of Clark International Airport and Airport City, the North-South Commuter Railway and its planned extension to New Clark City, the proposed Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas Railway, the Luzon Eastern Seaboard Road Network and the Central Luzon Link Expressway.

He also highlighted ongoing infrastructure projects in Zambales, including the Capas-Botolan Road and the Daang Kalikasan road network, which he said would improve access to ecotourism sites and shorten travel time between provinces.

The governor, however, warned that improved accessibility could also lead to traffic congestion, urban flooding, waste management problems and environmental degradation if not properly managed.

He urged tourism officers to adopt smart destination governance by using technology to monitor visitor capacity, improve public services, enforce environmental regulations and protect cultural heritage sites.

Ebdane outlined three priorities for sustaining the region’s tourism competitiveness: stronger coordination among local governments, inclusive governance that benefits host communities and environmental stewardship to safeguard natural resources.

He encouraged local government units to align their tourism development plans with provincial and regional strategies to promote Central Luzon—including Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan, Bataan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and Aurora—as a unified tourism destination.

Ebdane also reaffirmed the RDC III’s commitment to supporting local tourism through policy coordination and infrastructure investments.

The conference also featured the oath-taking of newly elected officers of the Association of Tourism Officers of Central Luzon, led by Ebdane. Darmo A. Escuadro, city tourism officer of San Jose City, Nueva Ecija, was inducted as the organization’s new president along with other officers representing the region’s provinces.

Ebdane also visited a Department of Trade and Industry trade exhibit showcasing locally made products and handicrafts by entrepreneurs and artisans from across Zambales. The exhibit provided micro, small and medium enterprises with a platform to promote their products while highlighting the province’s culture and craftsmanship. (Text and photos by Jun Dumaguing for Ang Pahayagan)