President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Dita Angara-Mathay as the new secretary of the Department of Tourism, bringing into the Cabinet a veteran public servant with decades of experience in trade, investment, and international economic relations.
Angara-Mathay replaces Christina Frasco, who has been appointed Presidential Adviser for Sustainable and Resilient Communities. In her new post, Frasco will be tasked with strengthening and ensuring the sustained implementation of priority national programs at the community level.
Before joining the Department of Tourism, Angara-Mathay served as commercial counselor and special trade representative at the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Tokyo, where she led efforts to strengthen partnerships with Japanese industries.
Japan remains one of the Philippines’ top sources of foreign investment, technology, and international visitors, making Angara-Mathay’s experience in Tokyo particularly relevant to the country’s tourism goals.
Her appointment signals the administration’s effort to position tourism not only as a showcase of Philippine culture and destinations, but also as a major driver of employment, business growth, and regional development.
Throughout her career, Angara-Mathay has led programs aimed at linking international partnerships to local economic gains, supporting enterprise development, strengthening industries, and creating more opportunities for Filipino businesses, particularly micro, small, and medium enterprises.
