Duterte appoints Boncato as tourism usec

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte has appointed Assistant Trade Secretary Arturo Boncato Jr. as tourism undersecretary.

Boncato will replace Jose Gabriel La Viña. Malacañang appointed La Viña as undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA), the post vacated by Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.

Malacañang on Thursday released the appointment papers of Boncato, informing Puyat about his designation.

Puyat yesterday told The STAR that Boncato was really the President’s choice and he was also recommended by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III.

“The President is happy with the choice of Boncato as underseretary,” she added.

The President personally knows Boncato.

Boncato worked with the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Mindanao in the early 1990s before he ventured to join the Marco Polo Hotel of Davao as vice president for promotions and marketing. Duterte was mayor of Davao City at the time.

Boncato also served as tourism director for the Davao region during the past administration and was appointed to a post in the Department of Finance for a project of the Asian Development Bank.

When Puyat was undersecretary of the DA, Boncato actively participated in community-based projects of Puyat and the foundation of former environment secretary Gina Lopez.

La Viña was the social media director of Duterte during his 2016 presidential campaign.  – Christina Mendez