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The Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) will hold a General Membership Meeting and Press Conference on April 28, 2026 at the Museo de Intramuros, Manila, to formally launch its flagship cultural event: Santacruzan 2026, set to take place on May 22, 2026.
Special guests at the press conference include celebrated actress and beauty queen Winwyn Marquez and an official representative from the Department of Tourism (DOT). Their participation underscores the significance of Santacruzan 2026 not just as a cultural celebration, but as a major driver of national tourism.
As the country’s leading organization of travel agencies, PTAA has positioned itself at the forefront of national tourism initiatives — championing events that bring both local and international visitors to experience the depth and richness of Filipino heritage. Santacruzan 2026 is the clearest expression of that mission: a world-class cultural spectacle rooted in faith, tradition, and national identity.
The partnership with the Department of Tourism reflects a shared commitment to making cultural tourism a cornerstone of the Philippines’ visitor economy. Together, PTAA and the DOT aim to elevate Santacruzan 2026 as a signature event on the national tourism calendar, drawing travelers from across the country and around the world.
Santacruzan 2026 is made possible in partnership with Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), one of the country’s most trusted financial institutions. The partnership with BPI reflects a growing alignment between the business sector and the cultural tourism agenda — recognizing that investing in heritage events is investing in the Filipino nation.
In support of local tourism professionals, PTAA will also partner with DOT-accredited tour guide and guide associations to provide curated guided tours of Intramuros in conjunction with the Santacruzan celebrations. This initiative puts local guides — whose livelihoods are deeply tied to cultural and heritage tourism — front and center during one of the year’s most significant events, ensuring they are supported and uplifted alongside the celebration.
Beyond Santacruzan 2026, PTAA is placing a deliberate focus on fiestas and religious events as key pillars of Filipino local travel. These celebrations — deeply woven into the spiritual and communal fabric of Philippine life — are among the country’s most compelling and authentic tourism draws. PTAA is actively working to package and promote these events to encourage Filipinos to discover their own heritage, while supporting local communities and economies across the archipelago.
Winwyn Marquez’s involvement brings both visibility and cultural resonance to the event. A celebrated figure in Philippine entertainment known for her advocacy for Filipino arts and culture, Marquez embodies the spirit of the Santacruzan — grace, heritage, and national pride.
Complementing these initiatives is Lakbay, PTAA’s dedicated business-to-business (B2B) platform connecting travel agencies with local tourism suppliers from across the Philippines. Lakbay serves as a vital marketplace where local suppliers — from provincial tour operators and homestay providers to regional festival and cultural experience organizers — can forge direct partnerships with travel agencies nationwide. The platform reinforces PTAA’s commitment to strengthening the entire local tourism supply chain, ensuring that the benefits of cultural tourism reach communities at every level of the archipelago.
Members of the media, industry stakeholders, and the public are invited to attend the April 28 press conference at Museo de Intramuros to learn more about Santacruzan 2026 and PTAA’s broader agenda for Philippine tourism this year.
