Puyat was an undersecretary at the Department of Agriculture where she headed the agribusiness and marketing office before her DOT appointment.
The Philippines has a new tourism head: Bernadette Romulo-Puyat was appointed secretary of the Department of Tourism (DOT) a day after President Rodrigo Duterte accepted the resignation of Wanda Tulfo-Teo.
Puyat was an undersecretary at the Department of Agriculture where she headed the agribusiness and marketing office before her DOT appointment.
She takes over the post of Teo, who resigned over a controversial US$1.1-million ad deal with state-owned PTV broadcast network in 2017 where DOT paid for ad placements in a TV show produced and hosted by two of her brothers.
State auditing agency COA cited irregularities in the deal, among them the high cost of the placements and the questionable terms of the contract where state auditors said “there were no provisions for the airtime rates per segment/spot and such other terms and conditions of the commercial advertisement specifically as regards the manner of payment.”
Teo denied accusations of corruption and conflict of interest, saying she did not know the ad placements were for her brother’s TV programme.
But the audit report pointed to the ad contract where DOT had specifically required PTV “to air a six-minute segment buy in PTV’s Daily News-type magazine segment, Kilos Pronto, plus a three-minute DOT spot within the programme.”
Kilos Pronto is the TV programme produced by Bitag Media Unlimited, Inc., owned by Teo’s brother Ben Tulfo and hosted by another brother, Erwin.
President Duterte knew the incoming DOT chief even before he was elected president in 2016, and his appointment of Puyat, whom he had once described as “dignified” and an “ideal first lady,” was reportedly a personal choice.
Puyat, a daughter of former senator and foreign affairs secretary Alberto Romulo, is no stranger to the limelight. She has graced the glossy covers of some of the country’s top lifestyle magazines and has been active in marketing the country’s agricultural products.
She is also an avid supporter of agri-tourism projects including the popular Madrid Fusion Manila, an event that showcases the shared history of the Philippines and Spain through gastronomic and trade exhibitions.
Meanwhile, Teo will face an investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman – the state agency responsible for investigating and prosecuting Philippine government officials accused of crimes, especially graft and corruption – and possibly another one to be conducted by the Philippine Senate.