Why blame Frasco alone for the tourism fiasco?

We aren’t exactly fans of the Garcias and Frascos, much less an admirer of their brand of politics and governance. But to be fair, it isn’t reasonable to put all the blame on Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco alone for the lackluster performance of Philippine tourism.

"Fiasco" means a total failure. Although "fiasco" sounds like Frasco I don’t agree that the DOT’s performance under her watch was a fiasco. In fairness to Frasco who is very hardworking, focused and passionate, the DOT performed reasonably well commensurate with their budget. The fact that there are photos of her shouldn’t be used to bamboozle her efforts.

I maintain that Frasco's DOT could even surpass the performance of former DOT secretary Ace Durano, if we use the same metrics and consider the comparative size of budgetary allocations. With due respect to the Tulfos whom I hold in high esteem, Frasco’s performance of may be even better than that of Wanda Tulfo Teo.

I have never been a rabid admirer of how the Garcias and Frascos run their politics or manage governance. I’m not their apologist or defender. But I despise the way Senator Raffy Tulfo put her on the spot in front of the leading players and prominent stakeholders in tourism industry. That’s no way to treat a lady.

The high-handed style of confronting Frasco with pictures which were printed and published without her permission or knowledge was unfair. Whenever she would reason out, Tulfo would demolish her arguments with a barrage of more accusations.

Although Tulfo was very cool and never raised his voice, his attacks were very pointed and too embarrassing to Frasco. If she were my daughter, I would be hurt and agitated on how the Senate Committee on Tourism under Chairman JV Ejercito treated her. The other members of the committee including Senator Loren Legarda didn’t come to her rescue.

My point is the poor performance of our tourism industry is a result of the confluence of multiple factors: transport costs, hotel costs, transfer costs, the unpredictable weather conditions, the highly-questionable peace and order situation, graft and corruption among agencies including certain offices in the LGUs. These are beyond Frasco’s control. Her budget is minuscule. Our expectations are "Kapantay ay Langit" but our investments are "Bato sa Buhangin", if we may say so.

Frasco is the only Cabinet member from Cebu. We should be supporting her and not attacking her. She should be allowed to do her job with a little caveat for her to limit the use of her photos in our tourism ads. She should also avoid debating with a senator. She should remind herself that when she appears before the Senate, she isn’t a trial lawyer defending a client. She’s a resource person to help the Senate think of legislative measures to help our tourism.

Tulfo should remind himself that a resource person shouldn’t be put on the spot and be embarrassed on national TV. With due respect, male senators should at least be chivalrous to a lady in distress. Frasco needs help, not attacks. But if we may offer unsolicited advice, she should also make some fundamental changes in her style and her team.

Frasco should perhaps be more persuasive in her language, rather than argumentative. She should avoid using the lawyer's lingo. She’s a bureaucrat not a courtroom warrior. The less words, the better. One can never win an argument against a Tulfo in their own turf. Raffy and Erwin can derail her budget. Just allow them to shine in their own chamber. But be sure to punish them in Liloan, Dumanjug, and Barili in the next elections.

Frasco may have to change her inner circle and reshuffle her trusted assistants. She had zero experience in tourism when she was a mayor and a spokesperson of VP Sara. She should be assisted by experts, not close friends and political allies. She needs experienced technocrats and real experts and should be more consultative and coordinative. Her staff can make or unmake her. There are many DOT insiders who apparently gave Tulfo some "not too nice" feedback.

Cebuanos, regardless of political color, should all help the DOT. Tourism is our common responsibility. This is our country. We are all on the same boat. We should all be helping each other, instead of putting each other down. In 2028, let us fight each other. But today, we have work to do. Let's do it together.