TOURISM SECRETARY-designate Bernadette Fatima Romulo Puyat will be asking the Commission on Audit (COA) to step in and examine all the projects of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB).
In an interview with the BusinessMirror, she said: “I will be writing our resident auditor at the DOT (Department of Tourism) and the COA central office to audit the Buhay Carinderia project and other projects of the TPB…ASAP.” The TPB is the marketing arm of the tourism department, and is now currently headed by actor Cesar Montano.
Romulo Puyat met with Montano at an undisclosed location on Wednesday evening, where she asked him to explain the controversial P80-million Buhay Carinderia project as well as his reported two-minute speech at a government-sponsored tourism event in New York, before attending the Broadway musical, Hamilton.
Montano didn’t submit his resignation letter, said Romulo Puyat, “but we discussed it [his resignation]. Anyway, he’s already on a holdover capacity. I leave it up to the Tourism Congress to submit names for consideration for the TPB Board, and for them to elect the new COO.” Montano was appointed in December 2016, and his term of office expired in June 2017.
Of the Hamilton incident, Romulo Puyat said, Montano explained that “he was there during the entire program and sat through all the production numbers, but when it came for him to speak, he said he noticed that the audience was not in the mood for a lengthy speech, so he just said a few words, then cracked a joke that he had tickets to Hamilton.”
Published reports (not in the BusinessMirror) alleged that the TPB released checks, signed by Montano and former Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon T. Teo, amounting to P80 million, in full payment for the Buhay Carinderia project in March and April, before the project actually started. The project of Marylindbert International Inc., was formally launched at the Rizal Park Hotel (formerly the Army Navy Club) last April 11, with the aim of raising the profile of carinderia (street cafes) and street food in the eyes of Filipinos and the world. (See, “TPB to bring lowly ‘carinderia’ food to the world,” in the BusinessMirror, April 12, 2018.)
In his meeting with the new Tourism chief, Montano submitted a letter, “requesting your good office for a joint review of all the TPB’s projects and events lined up for the year 2018 and 2019.”
Montano was appointed to his post via presidential directive, instead being nominated by the Tourism Congress as provided by law. His appointment in December 2016, had been questioned by industry stakeholders, especially in the wake of allegations of financial irregularities and charges of nepotism. (See, “Tourism stakeholders urge Montano to resign,” in the BusinessMirror, March 23, 2017.)