MANILA, Philippines – “The people should be the ones to protect their tourism industry.”

Senatorial candidate Richard Gordon made this call on Friday, April 15, during the second #TheLeaderIWant debate organized by Rappler.

Gordon, a Philippines’ former tourism chief, added that communities “must be part of the process of change.” (READ: The Leader I Want: Richard Gordon’s to-fix list for 2016)

“If you know that tourism creates jobs…then it becomes a culture of responsibility for our people,” Gordon said. 

Gordon said a simple measure to improve tourism is to give tourists bags “so that they don’t throw away their refuse” anywhere. This will be especially useful in mountain climbing, Gordon said. 

In a related topic, senatorial candidate Sherwin Gatchalian discussed urban planning in the Philippines during Friday’s senatorial debate. (READ: The Leader I Want: Sherwin Gatchalian’s to-fix list for 2016)

Gatchalian pointed out that Metro Manila is one of the worst examples of urban planning, characterized by congestion and “urban decay.”

“Ang proposal ko sa mga new cities, unahin na nila ‘yung comprehensive land use program nila,” Gatchalian said. (My proposal for new cities is for them to prioritize their comprehensive land use program.)

Tourism and urban planning remain contentious issues in this year’s elections, as government critics push for inclusive growth alongside the booming economy. – Rappler.com