By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo / Special to the BusinessMirror
A SHAKE-UP could be in the offing at the Department of Tourism (DOT), with incoming Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon Tulfo Teo reportedly bringing in her own team to occupy several current and newly created posts at the agency. This follows after Teo met with incumbent Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez Jr. over breakfast on June 16 at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza, where Jimenez assured her of the competence and efficiency of the team he is leaving behind.
Government sources said the following people will be brought in by Teo on July 1, the first day of the Duterte administration: lawyer Falconi V. Millar, who will take over the position of undersecretary for administration and special concerns; Ma. Lourdes F. Japson, assistant undersecretary for administration and social affairs; Czarina Zara Loyola, director for public affairs and advocacy; Ma. Luisa Diploma, director for special concerns; Katherine de Castro, undersecretary for tourism advocacy and public affairs; Alma Rita Jimenez, undersecretary for tourism development planning; Eden Josephine David, assistant secretary for tourism regulations, coordination and resource generation; Shalimar Tamano, assistant secretary for tourism advocacy; and Marinella Miranda, executive assistant 4 (Office of the Secretary).
Most members of Teo’s team have long been tourism advocates, with some being her colleagues at the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies Philippines Inc. (Naitas), where she is president, and the Tourism Congress of the Philippines.
For instance, Millar is legal counsel of Naitas. He will be taking over from Ma. Theresa I. Martinez, who is retiring. Japson is Naitas auditor and owns Strikers Travel Services; de Castro hosts a popular travel show on a major broadcasting network, and is daughter of former Vice President Noli de Castro; David is currently chief tourism officer at the DOT Davao regional office; and Tamano is currently DOT director for special concerns.
Alma Jimenez is former president of the Tourism Congress and currently chairs the Management Association of the Philippines Trade, Tourism and Industry Committee. She is also president and CEO of Health Solutions Corp. She will be taking over the post of Benito Bengzon Jr., the only career executive service officer (Ceso) at the DOT. It is not known where Bengzon will be assigned next.
Jimenez himself didn’t bring anyone to the agency when he took over from Albert Lim in 2011, except for a close-in aide and a head executive assistant.
A day after the announcement of Teo as his replacement, Jimenez described the incoming tourism chief as “a very nice lady.” He told reporters that he knew Teo personally, but was not about to give any advice to her if not asked. Asked, however, what his message would be to the incoming DOT chief, Jimenez said: “My message is definitely improve what you see needs improvement, and don’t fix what ain’t broke.”
Government sources described last week’s breakfast meeting between Jimenez and Teo as “very cordial and positive.”
The meeting took an hour-and-a-half and started with an exchange of pleasantries. The DOT chief briefed Teo on where the tourism industry currently is and how it became a major driver of the economy.
Teo was especially “thankful to Secretary Jimenez for his support of Naitas.” Naitas is an independent association of travel agencies whose activities and projects Jimenez has helped fund, the sources said. He has also been known to attend Naitas’s events and even Christmas parties, they added.
The incumbent DOT chief said he was “leaving a good and competent team behind,” and expressed regret only that “he could not further push the development of new tourism products and services.” Jimenez wished for Teo to take that on, i.e., encourage the creation of tourism souvenirs that will benefit local communities, even those that do not directly host tourism destinations.
Jimenez has always pushed the idea of “tourism as a business” and wanted to spread the fruits of tourism growth to benefit the masses of poor Filipinos living in the countryside.
From the brief meeting, the BusinessMirror’s sources said Teo was inclined to continue Jimenez’s programs and projects, such as the highly successful Madrid Fusión Manila and the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” brand campaign.
A more in-depth briefing for Teo and her team began on Wednesday afternoon at the DOT and will last until today.
Meanwhile, other government sources said Teo, like other Cabinet secretaries, are allowed to create positions not in the current plantilla of their respective agencies. These positions, however, have to be first approved by the President, so they can be funded by the Department of Budget and Management.
Many of the positions of undersecretary and assistant secretary at the DOT are currently occupied only in an “acting capacity,” as the officials are not Ceso-certified.
