Career official Arnold Gonzales takes over as TPB head

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Tourism on Thursday announced that career executive Arnold Gonzales has been named officer-in-charge of the Tourism Promotions Board.

Gonzales takes the place vacated by Cesar Montano, who resigned on May 21 amid the controversy hounding the “Buhay Carinderia” program that he headed.

ANNOUNCEMENT: The Department of Tourism is pleased to announce the appointment of Arnold Gonzales as Officer-in-Charge of the Tourism Promotions Board. pic.twitter.com/0RAwo6dwCa

— Visit Philippines (@TourismPHL) May 24, 2018

“The 56-year-old career executive has been with the TPB/DOT for 30 years, assigned at various posts here and abroad,” the DOT said in a statement. Prior to this appointment, Gonzales was OIC of the Domestic Promotions Department of the TPB.

Gonzales was not among the three highest-ranking TPB officials Montano suggested could take his place.

According to its website, the TPB is an attached agency of the Tourism department created to “market and promote the Philippines domestically and internationally as a world-class tourism and [Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions] destination.”

Montano, a known supporter of President Rodrigo Duterte, was appointed as head of the TPB on December 2016.

During his tenure, employees of the TPB filed complaints against Montano. They listed 24 irregularities, including his incompetence, which he allegedly committed. Despite this, Montano was allowed to stay on at the board.

Days before his resignation, TPB’s project “Buhay Carinderia” project, launched in lieu of the annual Madrid Fusion Manila, was also put in question because of a report from The STAR claiming that Montano issued three checks amounting to P80 million in favor of the organizer and proponent of the event.

The P80 million was reportedly an advance payment for the project, which has yet to start, and has a total budget of P320 million.

Tourism chief Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, who reviewed the department's projects for her new role as department head, could not stop herself from crying when she found out how the “hundreds of millions” from the department budget were spent by its former officials.

Puyat has asked the Commission on Audit to look into all DOT projects, including those under the TPB.