Angara-Mathay named new tourism chief
Newly appointed Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay. — Photo from the Philippine embassy in Tokyo
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has named Bernardita “Dita” Angara-Mathay as the new secretary of the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said on Friday.
A longtime official of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Angara-Mathay is “a seasoned public servant with decades of experience in trade, investment, and international economic engagement,” the PCO said.
“Her appointment reflects the administration’s push to position tourism not only as a cultural showcase, but as a strong driver of jobs, businesses, and regional development,” the agency said.
It added that, with Mathay at the helm of the DOT, “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.”
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PTIC stint
According to the DTI, Angara-Mathay had served as a key member of the agency’s Foreign Trade Service Corps, as she helped encourage foreign investments, export growth and job creation with a focus on supporting micro, small and medium enterprises.
Angara-Mathay had also served as Commercial Counselor at the Philippine Trade and Investment Center’s (PTIC) Tokyo office. The PTIC is the overseas agency representing the Department of Trade and Industry in key cities abroad.
In her stint at the PTIC, she established partnerships with various companies in technology, tourism, investments and other sectors in Japan. She had also worked in Taiwan, where she was honored with an excellence award by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
Her predecessor in the DOT, Christina Garcia Frasco, was appointed presidential adviser for sustainable and resilient communities on March 18. Mr. Marcos had also named Tourism Undersecretary Verna Buensuceso officer in charge of the department.
The new tourism chief is married to Robbie Mathay, a former president of the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority. — With reports from Inquirer Research and PNA /das
