Ex-tourism heads to GMA: Spare industry from politics

CEBU CITY — Five former tourism secretaries have written President Arroyo urging her to give the tourism industry the importance that it deserves and to spare it from politics.

The five former tourism secretaries are Rafael Alunan, Gemma Cruz Araneta, Vicente Carlos, Peter Garrucho Jr. and Narzalina Lim.

In their letter dated July 15, they suggested to Mrs. Arroyo that appointments to the Department of Tourism must be based on professional qualifications, experience in the industry and the ability of the appointees to gain the confidence of the industry’s stakeholders.

This statement came out on the question as to who is most qualified to replace incumbent Tourism Secretary Roberto Pagdanganan.

A few names have been floated as possible replacements of Pagdanganan, including Waterfront Cebu City Hotel general manager Patrick Gregorio and Cebu fifth district Rep. Joseph "Ace" Durano.

Durano, however, failed to get the endorsement of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña.

The mayor stood pat on his earlier announcement that he would support Pagdanganan, who still wants to stay on as tourism secretary.

Pagdanganan has promised to work for the transfer of the DOT central office in Cebu.

Osmeña said he does not want "to stab the back of someone who’s helping us."

Although Durano did not exactly ask for his endorsement, he said the fact that the congressman wanted to talk to him implies more or less the same.

"He’s not exactly a man without qualities at all like a Grade 6 graduate or something like that. I have talked to him and I think that he’s got the capability. He seems to be focused on this," Osmeña said.

Gregorio has the backing of Senate President Franklin Drilon, the Visayan Association of Ferryboat and Coastwise Service Operators and the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.

Durano, on the other hand, is being endorsed by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Visayas, and the Hotel Restaurants and Resorts Association in Cebu. — Freeman News Service