Tourism execs ordered to report to DOT chief’s office

MANILA, Philippines — Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat has confirmed that several high-ranking tourism officials were asked to report directly to her office.

“There were some [undersecretaries] and [assistant secretaries] that I asked to [report] directly to my office what I can do to department because I want to review their accomplishments and what they can do for the department,” Puyat told reporters on the sidelines of the Makati Business Club annual meeting last Tuesday.

Puyat issued Department Order 45 last June 13. The order indicated that the following officials were asked to report to the Department of Tourism chief’s office:

Undersecretaries

• Katherine De Castro
• Alma Rita Jimenez
• Marco Bautista

Assistant Secretaries

• Frederick Alegre
• Daniel Angelo Mercado
• Maria Lourdes Japon
• Arlene Mancao

These tourism officials were appointed by resigned tourism chief Wanda Tulfo-Teo.

"The above-mentioned officials shall perform the functions, duties and responsibilities inherent to the assignment and such others as may be directed by the secretary,” the department order obtained by Philstar.com read.

In line with this directive, Puyat assigned returning DOT official Art Boncato Jr. as undersecretary for tourism regulation, coordination and resource generation and chief of staff, replacing Jimenez.

READ: Aquino admin tourism exec back as DOT undersecretary

Puyat also appointed career official Reynaldo Ching as the officer-in-charge undersecretary for administration and special concerns to temporarily replace Bautista.

Boncato was initially slated as the undersecretary for administration and special concerns to perform the duties of former Undersecretary Jose Gabriel “Pompee” La Viña. La Viña has now taken his third government post under the Duterte administration as an undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture.

Puyat also ordered the transfer of the department's Ofice of the Public Affairs and Special Projects to the Office of the Undersecretary for Tourism and Development.

Meanwhile, the DOT chief only retained Undersecretary for Development Planning Sector Benito “Bong” Bengzon Jr.

Puyat earlier offered Bengzon the spokesperson post.

“I already have Bong Bengzon he’s in charge of more of our attaché abroad and policy planning. [Undersecretary] Art Boncato is back with us. He’s in charge of the regional directors and basically domestic tourism,” Puyat said.

Puyat earlier ordered all the tourism executives to submit their courtesy resignations. She said all have complied with her directive except the two career executive officers who were not required to tender resignation.

Due to the directive, the officials named are still reporting to work and receiving salaries.

Puyat clarified that they are not “floating” officials but their accomplishments are just being reviewed so that they can be designated properly.

“This is not for anything but I just want to review all of them. I want to more of professionalize the Department of Tourism,” Puyat said.

Asked until when she would keep the officials reporting to her office, Puyat responded: “We will see.”