Former DOT-7 director appointed to nat’l post

CEBU, Philippines — Rowena Montecillo, former regional director of DOT Central Visayas, has been appointed as the new director of the Office of Industry Manpower Development at the DOT headquarters in Manila.

DOT secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat formally appointed her to the post in a ceremonial oath taking held early this week.

Montecillo served as DOT-7 chief during the leadership of former DOT secretary Ramon Jimenez. However, her stint was cut short after the leadership was passed on to former DOT chief Wanda Teo.

The Office of Industry Manpower Development is tasked, among others, of conducting seminars on Philippine history, culture, environment and related subjects, in coordination with    appropriate government agencies and the private sector, as well as encouraging the development of training courses and apprenticeship programs for tourist guides and other similar workers jointly with concerned tourism enterprises, appropriate government agencies and the private sector.

After serving DOT Central Visayas, Montecillo co-owned a training and consultancy firm, which offers trainings for tourism related skills such as tour guiding, among others.

In and out of government service, Montecillo has been passionate in her quest to help the country’s tourism industry especially in training the tourism’s  frontliners.