New DENR undersecretary named

FORMER Social Security System (SSS) commissioner Jose Gabriel M. La Viña was appointed undersecretary of the Department of Tourism (DoT), Malacañang announced on Wednesday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. said last February that Mr. Duterte had not renewed his appointment of Mr. La Viña and Amado D. Valdez, respectively as commissioner and chairman of the SSS, whose terms of office expired on June 30 last year.

Mr. La Viña served as social media director in Rodrigo R. Duterte’s 2016 presidential campaign. He was subsequently appointed commissioner to the SSS, but his stint, along with that of chairman Amado D. Valdez, was not renewed last year.

Sought for comment, Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. said Mr. La Viña’s appointment is a “presidential prerogative.”

Mr. Duterte signed Mr. La Viña’s appointment papers on Tuesday, April 24.

The President also signed the appointment papers of Benny D. Antiporda as environment undersecretary, Rosario B. Sagadal as commissioner representing the workers sector in the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC), and Agnes Alexis L. De Grano also as NLRC commissioner representing the employers.

For its part, the Social Welfare Employees Association of the Philippines will stage a rally today in front of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to support the Social Welfare Department’s budget proposal, as submitted to DBM, for the regularization of 12,000 workers. The group said this also serves as preparation for Labor Day calling for the regularization of all contractual workers. —