Department of Tourism (DOT) officials and regional directors recently took their oath before Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco at the DOT office in Makati City.
Frasco congratulated the officials on their appointment and expressed her gratitude for heeding the call of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to make tourism a pillar of economic resurgence amid the setbacks experienced due to the pandemic.
“We must not limit ourselves in promoting our country to the world.”
“We must not limit ourselves in promoting our country to the world. More importantly, we must look inward to have an honest self-examination of what we need to change and improve on,” the tourism chief said.
“This year, the DOT has set ambitious goals which include introducing the Philippines as the Hospitality Center of Asia.”
“This year, the DOT has set ambitious goals which include multiplying the tourist arrivals achieved in 2022 and making the Philippines known not only through the award-winning destinations but by introducing the Philippines as the Hospitality Center of Asia and eventually the world,” the tourism head.
The newly appointed officials are:
Director Roberto P. Alabado III of the Office of the Secretary (OSEC)
Director Annavie E. Bacomo-Lapitan of the Office of Special Concerns (OSC)
Director Czarina Zara-Loyola of the Office of Public Affairs and Advocacy (OPAA)
Director Warner M. Andrada of the Office of Tourism Development Planning, Research and Information Management (OTDPRIM)
Director Milagros Y. Say of the Planning Service (PS), concurrent Director of Financial Management Service (FMS)
Director Reynaldo M. Rosas of the Internal Audit Service (IAS)
Director Virgilio M. Maguigad of the Office of Tourism Standards and Regulation (OTSR)
Director Jovencio M. Zaragoza of the Administrative Service (AS)
Regional Director Sharlene Zabala-Batin of the National Capital Region (NCR)
Regional Director Jovita A. Ganongan of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)
Regional Director Joseph Francisco R. Ortega of Region I (Ilocos)
Regional Director Troy Alexander G. Miano of Region II (Cagayan Valley)
Regional Director Marites T. Castro of Region IV-A (CALABARZON)
Regional Director Crisanta Marlene P. Rodriguez of Region VI (Western Visayas)
Regional Director Dara May L. Cataluña of Region IX (Zamboanga Peninsula)
Regional Director Ivonnie B. Dumadag of Region XIII (Caraga)
Frasco reminded the tourism officials: “This is the direction of our President — to not leave the work of the Department of Tourism on the surface alone but really to go to the grassroots, to go to the heart of tourism services.”
