Broadcaster Tulfo, Liloan mayor Frasco joining Marcos’ Cabinet

MANILA, Philippines (Updated 4:41 p.m.) — Broadcaster Erwin Tulfo and Liloan Cebu Mayor Christina Frasco, both families of government officials, have been nominated to join the Cabinet of the incoming administration of president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Press Secretary-designate Trixie Angeles-Cruz, in a briefing on Monday, said Tulfo will lead the Department of Social Welfare and Development while Frasco—who is also the spokesperson of vice-president elect Sara Duterte—will lead the Department of Tourism.

Tulfo is the brother of the incoming Sen. Raffy Tulfo while Frasco is the daughter of Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia. Frasco is a two-term mayor of the Liloan town.

The youngest Tulfo previously figured in controversy with the DSWD after the former ranted against Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista called him out for his expletive-spiced rant for not granting the broadcaster an interview.

In a short statement sent to the media, Tulfo however said he will work hard to address the needs of his countrymen in need.

Meanwhile, former Rep. Naida Angping (Manila) has been nominated as head of the Presidential Management Staff.

Angping is part of the transition team of the Marcos campaign team.

Previously, she served as a three-term congresswoman of the third district of the Capital. She also served as technical assistant of the Office of the Governor of Leyte and executive assistant of several officials, the Marcos team said in a release.

DBM

Slowly, Marcos has been piecing together his economic team with two new additions announced on Thursday.

Former Department of Budget and Management Assistant Secretary Amenah Pangandaman will return to her former department, now to sit as its chief under the Marcos administration. She will take over the post vacated by Wendel Avisado, who resigned as budget chief last year due to “medical reasons.”

Pangandaman is no stranger to the budget process. Under the Duterte administration, she worked with Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno when he was still the head of the DBM. Diokno will cut short his term as central bank chief to become Marcos’ finance secretary.

But Pangandaman’s stint at the DBM was not free of controversies. In 2019, some lawmakers accused Pangandaman and Diokno of allowing unauthorized “insertions” amounting to P75 billion into the proposed budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways for that year.

Both Pangandaman and Diokno denied the accusations, while President Rodrigo Duterte vetoed the supposed insertions flagged by lawmakers. The two were later appointed to the BSP, with Pangandaman serving as assistant governor.

As it is, Pangandaman will be part of an economic team that was left to tackle the government’s large budget deficit and huge debt pile that accumulated amid the pandemic.

She will join Diokno, incoming BSP Governor Felipe Medalla and two-time Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan in the powerful Development and Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC), which sets the government’s macroeconomic and fiscal targets.

Outgoing economic managers of Duterte administration pegged the proposed 2023 budget at P5.268 trillion (equivalent to 22.1% of GDP). The new DBM under Pangandaman’s watch may tweak the planned outlay, but incumbent DBM officials said it would be “prudent” to stick with the “tight” budget cap to protect the government’s fiscal health and credit ratings.

DICT

Meanwhile, lawyer Ivan John Uy has been nominated as head of the Department of Information and Communications Technology.

Uy previously led the Commission on Information and Communications Technology.

“The president-elect’s vision of a digitally empowered citizenry actively participating in the increasingly digital economy would greatly help address nagging issues on poverty, job creation, bridging the digital divide making us globally competitive,” Uy, as quoted in the statement, said.

Cruz said the five have already accepted their nominations.