PCGLA: Very Important Pinoy Tour 2026 To Be The Best Ever

LOS ANGELES, California—Proponents of the 2026 Very Important Pinoy (VIP) Tour are intensifying their efforts to make this year the best edition of VIP Tour since the program's inception 17 years ago.

Philippine Consulate General for Los Angeles (PCGLA) Consul General Adelio Cruz, at the sidelines of a meeting with representatives of various some travel agencies, community leaders and Philippines Department of Tourism (DOT)-Los Angeles officials at PDOT Los Angeles Headquarters, told The Filipino Correspondent Network (TFCN) that this year's VIP Tour is going to be "one of the best if not the best" of all the previous tours.

VIP Tour, formerly known as Ambassadors', Consul General, and Tourism Directors Tour (ACGTDT), is an annual tourism program organized by the Philippine Foreign Service Posts in the United States and the DOT, aims to reconnect Filipino Americans and friends of the Philippines with the country's cultural, historical, and tourism landmarks through a curated travel experience.

"We are making sure that the 2026 VIP Tour will not only offer the best destinations but will also highlight new cultural and gastronomical experiences for all participants," Cruz said.

Out of the targeted 500 participants of the VIP Tour this year, Cruz said they are aiming some 200 to come from PCGLA jurisdiction.

In photo (from left): DOT attache to LA Gerry Panga, Rajah Tours chairman Alejandra Clemente, PCGLA Consul General Adelio Cruz, PCGLA Consul Levi Anthony Malaylay

The 10-day, all-inclusive itinerary of VIP Tour 2026 takes place in the Philippines on July 12 to 21, 2026, covering the best of Metropolitan Manila, Dumaguete and Cebu into one adventure-packed and enriching vacation experience. The participants may also join the thrilling optional excursions to Bohol and Siquijor, and other day-tour offers.

Alejandra "Dading" Clemente, chairman of Rajah Tours Philippines, which has been the lead ground tour operator for the VIP Tour since it started in 2005 during the leadership of former Ambassador to the US Albert del Rosario, said VIP Tour has evolved from a mere tourism program to investment and retirement initiatives.

"We are going to have some add-ons to the tours which will give our VIP participants ideas on how to invest and/ or retire to the Philippines. There are some real estate companies that are doing some fire sale and the Philippine Retirement Authority also has some retirement schemes that could be tied to the VIP Tour program," Clemente said, in her presentation during the meeting.

Clemente pointed out that most of those participating in the VIP Tour are seeing the major benefits they get from this program. "Filipinos here in the US almost always want to visit the Philippines. Why not take advantage of the lower and discounted rates being offered through this program. The tour package being offered under the VIP Tour is about 30-40% lower than if they will go or book on their own," she said.

During the meeting, Carelinks Global Inc. president Edward Peregrino also presented a proposal which will offer insurance benefits for those VIP Tour participants 65 years old and above.

"They are some Filipino-Americans who would want to stay in the Philippines for more than 6 months but are worried that they do not have insurance there. We might have a solution for them to have medical insurance in the Philippines," Peregrino said, noting that the company has partnered with Pacific Cross and Maxicare to be able to offer these services.

Peregrino, however, said they just started this offer for Filipinos in Los Angeles. Later on, he said they might expand the coverage of this offer to Filipinos living in other major cities in the US.

Tourism attache to LA Gerry Panga said the Philippines is no. 1 in visitor arrivals in Southeast Asia from both the US and Canada in 2025, generating more than 1.4M arrivals and about $1 billion in tourist expenditures!

The DOT official noted that the US remains the biggest buyer of Philippine export products valued at $22.7 billion in 2024. Business travel to the Philippines, he said, will also continue to increase in 2026.

"Several high-profile US publications have featured the Philippines as one of the best destinations to travel to in 2026," Panga said.

According to Panga, Philippine Airlines (PAL), which is the official airline partner of the VIP Tour, has taken delivery of its first A350-1000, becoming the 10th airline worldwide to operate the largest version of the long range leader.

Interested participants can find information, updates, and registration details at http://viptourphilippines.com/

Photos by: Joe Cobilla