Support swells for Gregorio as tourism czar

CEBU CITY — The toss-up for the new tourism secretary has spurred a groundswell of support for Patrick Gregorio, president of Waterfront Hotels Philippines.

Endorsements of support from Cebu and the rest of the Central Visayas have snowballed to Mindanao, Metro Manila and Luzon.

The endorsements for Gregorio come not only from leaders and members of the tourism industry and other business sectors, but also from local government officials, including those in the cities of Davao, Bacolod and Tagaytay, and the provinces of Negros Oriental, Southern Leyte and Palawan.

Previous reports have it that Gregorio also has the support of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and several high-ranking government officials.

Similar support for Gregorio comes from Manila-based tour operators.

"Gregorio would not have been named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) of the Philippines in 2003 if not for his remarkable competence and achievements in tourism management," said Liela Salgado, a leading Manila-based tourism transport operator.

The award earned Gregorio the distinction of being the first and only awardee from the tourism industry in the 45-year TOYM history.

Gregorio, at 36, also holds the distinction of being the youngest president of the biggest hotel chain in the country.

"Gregorio rose from the ranks, traveled the country in various capacities, and worked with all kinds of people, including government officials, in all of his 16 years in the tourism industry. He is a tourism person through and through, and is simply the right young man for the job (of tourism secretary)," Salgado said.

Gregorio was a B.S. Tourism Management cum laude of the UP Asian Institute of Tourism, with a postgraduate diploma from the Singapore Hotel Technical and Educational Center and an Executive Certification from the Cornell University Hotel School in New York.

He is the founding chairman of the Cebu Visitors and Convention Bureau (CVCB), vice chairman of the Region 7 Tourism Council, director of the UP Alpha Sigma Fraternity Alumni Association and the SKAL International of Cebu.

He is a member of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Eco-Tourism Steering Committee, maitre hotelier of Chaine de Rotissuers, Bailliage des Filipinas, and honorary member of the Rotary Club of East Davao.

"A true visionary, Gregorio has repositioned and re-engineered Cebu tourism with the creation of the CVCB," said Jose Ng, Region 7 director of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in a letter to President Arroyo.

Endorsements from Mindanao include those from the Davao provincial board, Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry and, most recently, the Davao City Tourism Council.