DABAWENYA designer and entrepreneur Maria Margarita "Marga" Montemayor-Nograles has been named as the new chief operating officer of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), the marketing and promotions arm of the Department of Tourism (DOT).
This was announced by TPB on Tuesday, October 4 following Nograles’ oath-taking ceremony at the DOT central office in Makati City.
“I am deeply humbled, honored, and blessed to have been appointed as Chief Operating Officer of the Tourism Promotions Board, the marketing arm of our country. The trust and faith given to me is precious. I can only bow in profound gratitude and pray to God for guidance, wisdom, fair judgment, and inspiration to be able to discharge my duties in accordance with God’s will and the tourism agenda of our country,” Nograles told Sun Star Davao in an online interview.
She added she hopes to meet the expectations entrusted to her by Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco.
“I’ll be here to support and work with Sec. Frasco diligently. May I be relevant as I learn from my mentors and may my heart and mind be focused on how promotions can best benefit our communities and the only country we call home,” she said.
As the new COO, Nograles will take lead for a year and will be reappointed by the President every year.
For this year, TPB is expected to receive P1.17 billion in the form of automatic appropriations from the national government under the National Expenditures Program.
In a previous report, TPB announced that they are targeting to attract 7 million tourist arrivals in 2023.
Nograles is the wife of Civil Service Commission chairperson Karlo Alexei B. Nograles and co-founder of Kaayo Modern Mindanao, a clothing line highlighting Mindanao’s traditional weaves and patches.
A graduate of the Ateneo de Davao University, Nograles has been exposed to promoting the Philippines abroad as she is also the daughter of hotelier-restaurateur Mary Ann “Baby” Montemayor, an active Davao tourism industry player. ASP