DOT official defends cruise trips

The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Sunday defended the cruise trips given to lowly employees of the agency and belied reports that a “makeup artist” had been accompanying Secretary Wanda Teo in her overseas trips.

In a statement posted on the DOT Facebook page, Assistant Secretary Frederick Alegre said no government funds were spent for the Star Cruises trips given to DOT utility workers.

“It should be underscored that no government funds were expended as these trips resulted from the partnership between the DOT and the cruise liner. The [DOT] management capitalized on this project to allow marginalized DOT employees, who have been working at the department for years, to gain actual cruise experience,” Alegre said.

“This rare exposure contributes to having a holistic view of the DOT’s undertakings,” he said.

In a television interview in Davao City last week, Teo said Star Cruises gave the DOT 10 cabins for free, but she decided to give them to the agency’s ordinary personnel and not the officials.

“I [gave] it to little people. The government had no expense because it was for free. I gave it to the low-ranking employees because they have been with [the] DOT for 30 years and they never had travels,” she said.

As for Angelito Ucol, the supposed “makeup artist” accompanying Teo in her foreign trips, Alegre said he was actually employed as an executive assistant II at the Office of the Secretary.