10/04/2026
๐ช๐ถ๐น๐น ๐๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ง๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐บ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐งโ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ?
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr named a veteran trade diplomat as the new head of the Department of Tourism (DOT), with โeconomic tourismโ at the core of her mandate as the country works to keep pace with a booming regional travel market that has left it lagging behind neighbors Thailand and Vietnam.
Malacaรฑang today announced the appointment of Dita Angara-Mathay โ formerly the Philippinesโ commercial counselor in Tokyo โ to replace Christina Frasco, who will now serve as Presidential Adviser for Sustainable and Resilient Communities. The move signals a strategic shift to position tourism not just as a cultural attraction, but as a powerful driver of jobs, businesses, and growth across regions like Aklan, home to Boracay Island.
โHer appointment reflects the administrationโs push to position tourism not only as a cultural showcase, but as a strong driver of jobs, businesses, and regional development,โ Malacaรฑang said in a statement.
For Boracayโs residents and tourism stakeholders โ from small resort owners to local vendors โ the shift could bring critical investments and opportunities. Angara-Mathay spent years in Tokyo promoting Philippine investment opportunities to Japanese conglomerates, with a focus on supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and building global partnerships.
โThroughout her career, Angara-Mathay has led programs that link global partnerships to concrete outcomes on the ground, supporting enterprise development, strengthening industries, and expanding opportunities for Filipino businesses, especially MSMEs,โ the Palace noted.
The new DOT chief inherits a department still recovering from setbacks, including the 2023 โLove the Philippinesโ rebranding controversy that drew flak for using foreign stock footage. Frasco also faced criticism over what detractors called โexcessive self-promotion.โ
Her immediate challenges include restoring the countryโs tourism brand equity and addressing a โฑ1.10 trillion infrastructure underspend that has made many destinations โ including some access points to Boracay โ difficult to reach for both local and international tourists.
โWith her appointment, the administration aims to further align tourism with economic growth attracting more investments, supporting local industries, and ensuring that the gains from tourism are felt across the regions,โ the statement added.
For Boracay โ which contributes significantly to the countryโs tourism revenues โ the focus on economic tourism could mean more targeted infrastructure upgrades, better linkages for local businesses to global markets, and a stronger position to compete with other top regional beach destinations.
