Thursday, August 19, 2004 Arroyo appoints Danao legislator to tourism post By Elias O. Baquero With Rose O. Versoza, Minerva B. Gerodias & Allan I. Varquez
CEBU CITY -- Lobbying by tourism industry players finally paid off for Cebuano Rep. Joseph "Ace" Durano, whose appointment as tourism secretary was announced in Cebu Wednesday by Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye.
Bunye, who was appointed press secretary, also named Cebuano broadcaster Cerge Remonde as one of the 26 appointees. Remonde will head the Government Media Group.
Vice President Noli de Castro was tasked to head the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, after turning down a previous offer to head the social welfare department. (See list of appointees below)
Durano appealed to his critics to give him a chance, saying he will sustain the momentum gained by tourism secretaries Richard Gordon (now a senator) and Roberto Pagdanganan.
"The biggest factor in the success of tourism is private sector participation, which is being adopted in Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia. We have to do it here," Durano said.
The 34-year-old lawyer and Asian Studies graduate said he expected the appointment because President Arroyo discussed it with him two weeks ago.
New jobs
Pagdanganan, for his part, was appointed president of the Philippine International Trading Corp., which has been tasked to handle marketing for the Philippines, as well as bring down the prices of medicine.
All the appointees can start their new jobs upon getting their appointment papers and after taking their oath of office.
Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Robert Go said the business sector will be pleased with President Arroyo for honoring their endorsement of Durano to be the next tourism secretary.
"We need somebody who is familiar with the ins and outs of Congress, one who can work with the bureaucracy," he said.
Before support for Durano snowballed, Cebu-based hotelier Patrick Gregorio, president of Waterfront Hotels and Casinos-Philippines and head of the Cebu Visitors and Convention Bureau, received various endorsements to be the next tourism chief.
Special polls
As a result of Durano's appointment, Commission on Elections (Comelec) 7 Director Salud Aliganga said a special election will have to be held in Cebu's fifth district to choose a replacement for the congressman.
Aliganga, however, said the Comelec's resources have been depleted, so they will have to wait for Congress to appropriate funds for the special elections.
The Omnibus Election Code states that the special election should be held within 60 days after the vacancy occurs.
Before the appointments were revealed in yesterday's press conference, Bunye, Pagdanganan and Executive Secretary-designate Eduardo Ermita accompanied President Arroyo in inspecting the Bureau of Customs building, now the Office of the President-Cebu.
If he knew about the impending change, Pagdanganan showed no signs. In an interview, he discussed ongoing preparations for the transfer of the Department of Tourism (DOT) head office to Cebu.
He said the tourism department was thinking of "swapping" their employees with those of other national government agencies who are willing to relocate to Cebu.
Pagdanganan said Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña told him there might be some Cebuanos working in clerical positions in the other departments, like the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture, who are interested in working at the DOT office in Cebu.
Moving on
Pagdanganan has created two committees in Manila to look after the "people aspect" and the infrastructure aspect of the tourism department's transfer.
He said Liaison Officer Friñas Alburo is already working in Cebu and is now coordinating with DOT 7 Director Patria Aurora Roa. He is among the first DOT officials from Manila to transfer here.
Pagdanganan is hopeful that the construction of the DOT office in Cebu could start by September.
Osmeña has told him that the analysis of the soil for the building's foundation will be out within the next few days.
Pagdanganan also said President Arroyo has instructed the Philippine Tourism Authority to allocate P100 million as initial fund for the building construction.
Another P100 million was allocated for the social administrative aspect of their transfer, including a retirement funds for the employees.
In the meantime, the President has agreed that the DOT can occupy a portion of the Mala-cañang in the South as their office.
Arroyo's new Cabinet
* Vice President Noli de Castro, Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council chairman
* Eduardo Ermita, executive secretary
* Alberto Romulo, foreign affairs secretary
* Avelino Cruz, defense secretary
* Florencio Abad, education secretary
* Raul Gonzales, justice secretary
* Michael Defensor, environment secretary
* Rene Villa, agrarian reform secretary
* Joseph Ace Durano, tourism secretary
* Ignacio Bunye, press secretary
* Imelda Nicolas, National Anti-Poverty Commission secretary-general
* Hermogenes Ebdane, national security adviser
* Rodolfo del Rosario, adviser for new government centers
* Edgardo Pamintuan, adviser for constituencies
* Francisco Licuanan, adviser for Clark-Subic development
* Augusto Syjuco, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority director-general
* Roberto Pagdanganan, Philippine International Trading Corp. chairman
* Cerge Remonde, Government Media Group head
* Thelmo Cunanan, Social Security System chairman
* Sergio Valencia, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office chairman
* Fe Barin, Securities and Exchange Commission chairperson
* Edgardo Aglipay, PNP chief
* Reynaldo David, Development Bank of the Philippines president
* Eduardo Manalac, Philippine National Oil Company president
* Jose Perez, United Coconut Planters' Bank president
* Lilia Bautista, ambassador to Belgium
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