Photo courtesy of Yancy Lim– Philippine News Agency (PNA).
Malacañang clarified that there are no plans to replace Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco, despite recent criticisms over her visibility in government tourism programs.
Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro dismissed reports linking Frasco’s post to Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio.
“As of now, wala pong pinag-uusapan na ganyan,” Castro told reporters, adding that there is no discussion about a Cabinet change.
Last week, Castro reiterated that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration is not looking for any Cabinet revamp.
The issue surfaced after a Senate Committee on Tourism hearing on Tuesday, where Senator Raffy Tulfo presented slides of magazines and promotional materials featuring Frasco.
Tulfo said such campaigns should highlight destinations rather than government officials. Frasco responded that her public visibility reflected her official duties and was not politically motivated.
In response to the criticism, Frasco ordered the removal of all Department of Tourism materials showing her image and instructed regional offices to halt production of similar content.