Christina Garcia Frasco shifts from tourism to national resilience leadership
Christina Garcia Frasco has been named the new Presidential Adviser for Sustainable and Resilient Communities. Her appointment follows nearly four years as the Philippines' Tourism Secretary, a role she held from June 2022 until March 2026. During her tenure, the country's tourism industry saw a major recovery after pandemic lows.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has expressed full confidence in her ability to lead the new position. A temporary replacement has already been assigned to oversee the Department of Tourism while a permanent successor is chosen.
Frasco took office as Tourism Secretary on 30 June 2022, at a time when visitor numbers were still struggling. Under her leadership, international arrivals climbed from under 0.5 million in 2021 to 5.45 million in 2023. By 2024, the figure reached roughly 8.2 million—almost matching the pre-pandemic peak of 8.26 million in 2019. Projections for 2025 suggest further growth, with over 9 million expected visitors and tourism revenue nearing 850 billion PHP by early 2026.
Her departure leaves the Department of Tourism in the hands of Verna Buensuces, who will serve as officer-in-charge until a permanent secretary is named. Officials have indicated that an announcement for the new Tourism Secretary will likely come in the next few weeks. In her new role, Frasco will focus on strengthening community resilience. She will coordinate between local governments, national agencies, and stakeholders to align disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, and sustainable development plans. Her responsibilities include tracking progress, spotting gaps, and proposing solutions to improve these initiatives. Frasco has publicly thanked the president for the appointment and reaffirmed her commitment to the work ahead. The transition reflects a strategic shift in her career, moving from tourism promotion to broader national resilience efforts.
The change in leadership comes as the Philippines' tourism sector stabilises near pre-pandemic levels. Frasco's new position expands her focus to long-term sustainability and disaster preparedness. Meanwhile, the search for a permanent Tourism Secretary continues, with Buensuces ensuring continuity in the department's operations.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
