MALACAÑANG on Thursday said Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco is still in the good graces of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. despite the mounting criticisms against her.
“Yes, she still enjoys the trust of the president,” Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro replied when asked if the president still considers Frasco as a worthy member of his Cabinet.
Talks have been circulating that Marcos is considering ousting Frasco over her perceived self-promotion instead of highlighting the government’s initiatives to promote the Philippines on the global stage.
Castro had earlier denied that Frasco is on her way out and would be replaced by former Philippine Airlines (PAL) top executive Stanley Ng.
She added, however, that the Cabinet officials’ performance is constantly under evaluation.
Castro also noted that the government is finding ways to remedy tourism concerns raised by travelers, particularly the high cost of local air travel.
She previously noted that the Palace is aware of complaints that flights to popular local destinations such as Siargao are sometimes more expensive than traveling to other Southeast Asian countries.
“This is already being addressed by Secretary Banoy (Giovanni Lopez) of the DOTr (Department of Transportation), and he stated some reasons why there are high airfares to other destinations in the Philippines,” Castro said.
“There are also problems regarding the fluctuating fuel cost, but whenever there is a price decrease, the CAB (Civil Aeronautics Board) would remind the airlines that they must also reduce the fuel surcharge to effectively cut down airfares. So, that is what the DOTr is doing to make tourism in our country even better when it comes to the issue of airfare,” she said.
