Stakeholders want expert to head tourism board

Industry stakeholders are hoping the next head of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) will be someone with a background in tourism and marketing, for the better function of the agency’s mandate.

“I just hope that whoever is chosen is qualified for the job and that the person understands the depth and breadth of what tourism is and accordingly knows what the role has to do,” Rajah Travel and Tours president Aileen Clemente told

Clemente said the next TPB chief operating officer should propel the transformation of the agency and look at the impact of the traditional activities it does, and add new activities and functions it now has to undertake, especially in this digitized and electronic world.

“It is time for TPB to go through a transformation as all other marketing arms of other country’s tourism organizations have already done,” Clemente said.

“It has to take a strategic role in putting the country’s promotions equally within the country and outside,” she said.

Actor and film producer Cesar Montano resigned from his post as TPB COO earlier this week amid controversies surrounding the P320 million Buhay Carinderia project.

TPB deputy chief operating officer for marketing and promotions Maricon Ebron told

she hopes the next COO would be someone from the tourism industry.

“If there is anybody that they will assign, or will be appointed by the President while it is a political position, I hope it is someone who knows what tourism is so that he won’t get shocked,” Ebron said.

“I think I can also understand (Montano) because tourism is not his core competence. He came from movies, film industry, which has another audience,” Ebron said.

Montano was appointed TPB COO in December 2016.

Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP) president Jojo Clemente told the TCP already has some possible nominees for the TPB post.

“We already have some possible nominees. But we are still vetting,” he said.

Clemente said the nominees would have to match the qualifications stated in RA 9593 or the Tourism Act of 2009. He added, however, that a background in marketing would also be essential for the next TPB head.

Under Section 48 of the Tourism Act of 2009, the TPB COO must be a Filipino, with a bachelor’s degree in any of the following fields: business, law, tourism, public administration or other relevant fields, and have demonstrated expertise therein.

He or she must have been engaged in a managerial capacity for at least five years prior to his appointment.