(UPDATE) MALACAÑANG on Thursday confirmed the exit of Christina Garcia Frasco as secretary of the Department of Tourism (DOT).
She, however, is totally not out of the Marcos administration as she will serve in a different capacity as Presidential Adviser for Sustainable and Resilient Communities.
“As many areas across the country face increasing climate-related hazards and disruptions that affect local economies and livelihoods, the president has tasked Secretary Frasco to take on this role to help strengthen the implementation and sustained follow-through of priority national initiatives at the community level,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a statement.While Marcos decides on who to fill the seat left by Frasco, Undersecretary Verna Burnsuceso will oversee affairs at the DOT as officer in charge.
There was some online buzz, however, that career trade diplomat Dita Angara-Mathay would likely be the next Tourism chief. She is currently the commercial counselor and special trade representative of the Philippines in Tokyo, Japan.
“Secretary Frasco will transition from her role as secretary of Tourism, where she led efforts to support tourism enterprises and livelihoods, and to deepen partnerships with local governments nationwide,” Castro said.
“The president expressed his appreciation for her service at the Department of Tourism and conveyed confidence that her experience working closely with local governments and communities will continue to support the administration’s priorities,” she added.
Talk has been circulating for months that Frasco would be the next to leave the Cabinet over her perceived penchant for self-promotion and the lagging numbers of tourist arrivals compared to the country’s Southeast Asian neighbors.
The DOT had been on the receiving end of online bashing for its promotions that featured Frasco’s face and not the destinations themselves.
