The Philippine government announced that Dita Angara-Mathay is the country's new secretary of tourism as of today, 10th April.
The new secretary is expected to attract more investments to support local industries and ensure that the gains from tourism are felt across the regions.
A seasoned civil servant, Angara-Mathay brings several decades of experience in international economic engagement to the role.
Per the official release from the Philippine Information Agency (PIA): "Her appointment reflects the administration’s push to position tourism not only as a cultural showcase, but as a strong driver of jobs, businesses , and regional development."
Angara-Mathay's appointment is seen as a way by which the current administration seeks to align tourism with economic growth
A storied career
Angara-Mathay previously served as a commercial counselor at the Philippine Trade and Investment Centre in Tokyo, Japan.
In that post, she too the lead in several strategic partnerships with the Japanese as their country is one of the Philippines’ key tourism source markets, as well as a partner in investment and technological development.
Likewise, Angara-Mathay spearheaded programmes linking global partnerships to local firms, whilst supporting enterprise development, strengthening industries, and expanding opportunities for Filipino businesses, especially micro-, small-, and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs).
