Ex-beauty queens touted as next DOT chief
THE names of former beauty queens swirled over the weekend as possible candidates to head the Department of Tourism (DOT) under presumptive president Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Among the names floated as possible Tourism Secretaries were Cultural Center of the Philippines chair Margie Moran-floirendo, socialite Carol Masibay-garcia, and TV personality and local beauty pageant director Cory Quirino.
Moran-floirendo and Masibaygarcia were seen in a viral video partying with Marcos Jr. at the latter’s campaign headquarters in Mandaluyong on the evening of May 9. Both have been long-time friends of the Marcos couple.
Reached for comment, Quirino told the Businessmirror, “This is news to me. However, if given the chance, I am ready to serve the President BBM administration. It would make me proud to serve my country in any capacity.”
Another beauty queen, Gemma Cruz-araneta, had also served as Tourism Secretary from 1998-2001 under President Estrada, who was later ousted in a popular uprising.
The DOT is currently headed by Bernadette Romulo-puyat, an economist, who was a UP professor, then undersecretary at the Department of Agriculture.
As this developed, a newlyformed group of stakeholders who expressed support for Marcos Jr.’s candidacy urged him to “appoint a [DOT] Secretary who is really from the Tourism industry.”
Wish list from stakeholders
TOURISM Movers Philippines (TMP), founded by veteran travel professional Bob Zozobrado, met with Marcos Jr. and his team, on May 6, where they submitted a “wish list,” as they aimed for tourism to become “the top revenuegenerating industry in the country, while it secures its position among the top in the Asia-pacific region.”
In its wish list, TMP wanted Marcos Jr. to “regulate media reports on crime, to avoid negative branding of our country, the continuation of good relations between China and the Philippines because the former was the top feeder market for resorts,” and the construction of hospitals in major destinations like Bohol, Boracay, Siargao, and Palawan, and convention centers in Cebu and other destinations to be managed by government; as well as the improvement of seaport terminals in Cebu, Bohol, among others.
So far, Marcos Jr.’s camp has announced Benhur Abalos as Interior Secretary and presumptive vice president Sara Duterte as Education Secretary. The business community and foreign investors are keenly watching who will make up the economic management team of Marcos Jr., which will have to revive a pandemic-affected economy and face nearly P13 trillion in debt.
Revenues could easily come from the tourism sector, which contributed 13 percent to the country’s gross domestic product in 2019, prior to the pandemic. It attracted close to P570 billion in investments that year, with income from foreign tourists rising to P5.49 billion, while local residents spent P3.14 trillion. Foreign tourist arrivals were at their highest in 2019 at 8.26 million.
Hike DOT, TPB budgets
TO boost their industry’s prospects however, TMP sought tax incentives especially to foreign carriers to encourage them to fly directly to the Philippines; professionalization of travel agents, tour operators and tour guides along with standardization of tour guide fees; as well as “an increased budget for advertising in the international market” for the DOT, and “an increased budget for our tourism stakeholders’ participation in foreign trade shows” for the DOT and its marketing arm, the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB).
Zozobrado (Budget Travel and Tours) said they met first with Abalos, “who was very impressed with the specifics in our Wish List and who mentioned that our push for Sustainable Tourism, MICE infrastructure, complete medical facilities in top-rated destinations and upgraded diving facilities match what the new government will prioritize.”
He said there was no discussion on possible candidates to the DOT. He emphasized that their group is “composed of approximately 300 owners, presidents, chairpersons, directors and other high-ranking officers of various tourism establishments all over the country.” Other signatories to the TMP Manifesto of Support were: Michelle Taylan (Klik and Fly Travel), Richard Lim (Macatransco), Gina Amador (La Montaña Tours), Gary Cases (Malapascua Aquasports), Agnes Macapia (Le Soleil Group), Alfred Reyes (Bai Hotel), and Charlie Yu. Published reports show Yu as a public relations consultant for Philippine Airlines.