DAVAO CITY – “Give me a break.”
This was the reaction of the newly-designated regional director of the Department of Tourism in the Davao region (DOT 11) when asked for his reaction to the opposition of tourism stakeholders on the reshuffle of national and regional offices of the department.
Antonio Blanco, who is expected to officially take the helm of DOT 11 next month, said he understands the stakeholders’ position, but he appealed to them not to judge him.
He promised to meet all stakeholders in the region and tourism officers once he officially sits as director of the regional tourism office. The reassigned directors were given two to three weeks to work on their relocation to their new assignments.
Blanco initially met with outgoing director Robbie Alabado.
Blanco, who was presented by Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo to Davao tourism industry stakeholders at the Seda Hotel here Friday afternoon, said he did not aspire for his position in DOT 11.
He said he is just following orders even if it is difficult to be relocated. Blanco is currently director of DOT- Zamboanga (DOT 9).
According to Blanco, he rose from the ranks, spending most of his career with the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA), now known as the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), managing infrastructure projects funded by the agency.
He was also assigned in Metro Manila, Southern Luzon, and Palawan before he finally asked to be assigned in Zamboanga.
Nonetheless, Blanco said he is not new to Davao because he has also traveled here for the implementation of projects in the years when DOT was under the late Catalina Dakudao.
One such project was the development of the Magsaysay Park in early 2000. He also cited projects he managed, such as the PHP750 million parks and lighting development in Mindanao.
It may be recalled that tourism industry stakeholders, including in Davao, have voiced concerns on the impact on their programs of the major shakeup in the DOT.
Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo issued Department Order No. 2017-101 dated last Dec. 29, which called for the reassignment and re-designation of 22 DOT directors and five officers-in-charge.
The reshuffling will reportedly enable the DOT officials to “flourish” and get them out of their “comfort zones”.
City Tourism Officer Generose Tecson earlier confirmed that various associations and tourism councils nationwide had submitted their respective positions in the reshuffling at the national and regional offices.
Tecson admitted she was concerned with the sudden reshuffling of the regional directors, particularly Robbie Alabado, who was assigned to the DOT’s medical tourism section in the central office.
She said Alabado had been supportive of the plans and programs of the various tourism offices in the region. These were programs that DOT 11 and various tourism offices had put together that were set to be implemented immediately.
“To replace him now would mean losing precious time in the implementation of these programs,” she said.
In a press conference at the Seda Hotel Friday, Teo brushed aside speculations that the reassignment of regional directors was a punishment.
She told reporters that everybody, Alabado, for example, has performed well. “Naayos na niya lahat (He has done everything),” she said.
According to Teo, the reshuffle is designed to promote managerial potentials and versatility, “as well as reawaken their passion for our line of work”.
“The reassignment among the DOT officials also means we have risen to the occasion of (the) greater task of elevating Philippine tourism at par to those of other countries,” she said.
Teo said the reshuffle is just one of the steps she will undertake to ensure that each of them would be on their toes, given DOT’s ambitious targets.
In tourism arrivals alone, Teo said DOT is targeting to draw 8 million tourists this year.
“With the vision of realizing a truly sustainable and inclusive tourism program, I believe this new challenge should propel us to yet another record-breaking year for the Philippine tourism industry,” Teo said. (Lilian C. Mellejor/PNA)
