President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has named trade diplomat Dita Angara-Mathay as the permanent secretary of the Department of Tourism, replacing Christina Garcia-Frasco who was reassigned last month to Presidential Adviser for Sustainable and Resilient Communities. The appointment comes amid efforts to boost tourism arrivals, which remain below pre-pandemic levels.
Malacañang announced on Friday, April 10, the appointment of Dita Angara-Mathay as the new head of the Department of Tourism, filling the vacancy left by Christina Garcia-Frasco's reassignment in March. Undersecretary Verna Buensuceso had been serving as interim leader.
Angara-Mathay previously served as commercial counselor and special trade representative of the Philippines in Tokyo. She represented the country in industrial dialogues and international summits on electronics and textiles, including the SEMI Southeast Asia Investment Forum in January 2025 and Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo in September 2025. She also helped secure P51 billion in investment pledges from Japanese firms during the government's economic team visit to Japan in September 2025.
Angara-Mathay led programs supporting enterprise development and opportunities for Filipino micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Her appointment occurs as the Philippines pushes to recover tourism, with 6.4 million international visitors in 2025 generating P694 billion in spending—far behind regional leaders like Thailand's 30 million annual tourists. During the Mactan Expo unveiling in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu in March, Marcos noted: “Last year, we only welcomed six million people. Just to give you a frame of reference, Thailand welcomes 30 million tourists every year, kaya malaki ang hahabulin natin (So we have a lot of catching up to do).”