Tourism Promotions Board supports Puyat’s call for transparency

MANILA, Philippines — The Tourism Promotions Board on Tuesday issued a statement expressing support for Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat's order for transparency in all transactions.

“The TPB extends its support to the direction of Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, guaranteeing transparency in all of its dealings,” the board said in a statement.

The board also said it is exerting “unceasing efforts to adhere to globally accepted management system and good corporate governance standards.”

The board expressed its support amid the controversies surrounding the agency's "Buhay Carinderia" project and the eventual resignation of its head, actor Cesar Montano.

Puyat last Thursday ordered the suspension of the P320-million Buhay Carinderia project, which was launched in lieu of the annual Madrid Fusion Manila. She said she made the move as the project lacked proper bidding and was made through a sponsorship deal instead.

READ: TPB's ‘Buhay Carinderia’ on back burner over lack of proper bidding

Montano issued an advance payment of P80 million for the project, which has yet to start.

The DOT chief explained that Montano told her that the board’s practice is to conduct “sponsorships” instead of bidding out projects.

“It is part of our mandate to provide support to tourism stakeholders capable of drawing a sizeable number of tourists and tourism investment to the country, one of which is through financial sponsorship,” the TPB reiterated in its statement.

“These projects and programs are expected to contribute significant returns on marketing investments that are beneficial in promoting Philippine tourism,” it added.

The TPB said that its policies and processes have been granted ISO 9001:2008 certification for the past two years, and currently transitioning to ISO 9001:2015. ISO 9001 is the international standard that specifies requirements for a quality management system.

The board also assured the public that it continues to work relentlessly in promoting the Philippines domestically and internationally.

On Monday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the president is very pleased with Puyat’s recent pronouncement against corruption.

Roque lauded Puyat after she told media that she discovered grave corruption and overspending in the DOT. The new Tourism head said she would address these issues.