New DOT 11 RD: Give me a chance
“DON’T judge me for who I am or what I am or what I have done… Give me a chance.”
Upcoming Tourism Davao Regional Director Antonio Fernando Blanco appealed to the tourism stakeholders to give him a chance to prove what he can do as the newly appointed regional director in Davao Region by Tourism secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo through Department order 2018-01 she signed on January 4.
Blanco, though coming from Zamboanga Peninsula, is not new to Davao City as he had previously worked for L.S. Sarmiento & Co., Inc. (LSSCI) in Panacan and had stayed in Matina for several years. He then worked as a contractor worker for the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza) where he became permanent after passing the Civil Service Exam. He was then assigned as the Zamboanga Golf and Sports Complex Manager. During his term, he said he helped developed the complex which was under Tieza.
After serving his term as the sports complex manager, Blanco was then promoted to handle tourism of Metro Manila and Southern Luzon.
“When I was assigned in Manila, the devastation of Baguio came so we had to refocus. On my region, which is Metro Manila and Southern Luzon, we developed Tagaytay to get the tourists to go there because Baguio was devastated at the time with the big earthquake… As far as Palawan, with Mayor Hagedorn at that time, we helped him set up his tourism master development plan,” said Blanco.
He had several other projects implemented in Metro Manila and Southern Luzon when he requested to be transferred back to Mindanao. This was when he became more into development and construction of tourism-related infrastructure particularly of parks and lightings.
“When I was transferred to Mindanao, they gave me a budget of P750 million for parks and lighting development. The budget of the entire Department of Tourism was P1.5 billion so I got half. Actually, Visayas and Mindanao was one region. It was separated and Mindanao was given to me. That’s why I was visible here in Davao, not only in Davao but from Tawi-tawi, Jolo because we were into parks and lighting development at that time,” he said.
Some of the parks he named that they developed were Datu Kalun park in Lamitan, Basilan, Malasag Park in Cagayan de Oro City, and the Magsaysay Park in Davao City.
With all of these projects that Blanco had previously accomplished in his various tourism assignments in the past, Blanco hopes that the Dabawenyos would give him a chance to perform.
“I did not aspire for this position nor did I make any representations to the secretary. It was her decision and her being my boss, I have to follow her orders... I’m not new to tourism. I was more into infrastructure from TIEZA. I’m just trying to cope up, will ask the stakeholders what they want and I will follow what you want as long as our projects are viable. With the blessing of the secretary, I’ll work for it. Give me a chance,” said Blanco.
He will start office three weeks after January 4 giving enough time to turn-over documents and for the reassigned regional directors to settle in their new assigned areas.