Updated at 11:14 am (SGT), 13th March.
The Philippine government announced that Christina Frasco stepped down as secretary of the Department of Tourism (DOT) late on Thursday, 12th March.
According to Presidential Press Office undersecretary Claire Castro, the erstwhile Cabinet secretary nevertheless holds the trust of President Ferdinand R Marcos Jnr and was named a presidential advisor for sustainable and resilient communities.
In a statement released late on the afternoon of the 12th, Castro said: “As many areas across the country face increasing climate-related hazards and disruptions that affect local economies and livelihoods, the President has tasked Secretary Frasco to take on this role to help strengthen the implementation and sustained follow-through of priority national initiatives at the community level.”
For the time being, the DOT will be helmed by Undersecretary Verna Buensuceso.
What came before
Just last month, Frasco was called out by Senator Rafael Tulfo for what he referred to as self-promotion on her part as opposed to properly marketing the Philippines as a world-class destination.
According to Tulfo, a number of promotional materials produced for the DOT over the past year appeared to focus more on the secretary than on the country’s tourist destinations.
At the same time, Frasco’s appearance on a lifestyle magazine cover called into question her priorities on the job, especially given that most of the leads she claimed from the country’s participation in a number of global tourism events have not converted into revenue.
Frasco has also been called out for the DOT’s inability to meet its arrivals target for the past several years despite aggressive domestic and international marketing initiatives.
A likely successor?
As stated above Undersecretary Buensuceso will be taking on the position of pro tempore secretary, but insiders are speculating that a strong candidate has already been pinpointed for the job.
The name that has come up with greater frequency in recent days is that of the current head of the Philippine Trade and Investment Centre in Tokyo, Japan: Dita Angara-Mathay.
Angara-Mathay is a veteran trade diplomat and is, presently, the country's current commercial counsellor and special trade envoy to Japan.
A seasoned veteran, her reputation has been built on her active promotion of the Philippines as a global exporter as well as a prime venue for commercial and industrial investment.
This is a developing story and will be updated once additional information becomes available.
