Philippine Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco is a former three-term mayor of the Municipality of Liloan in the Province of Cebu before she was catapulted to the executive branch of government when President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. handpicked her to join his Cabinet and lead the Department of Tourism (DOT) in 2022.Born to a family of public servants, her legacy as a local chief executive saw the rise of Liloan as a top model and most resilient municipality in the Philippines. Her outstanding work did not go unnoticed, meriting a Presidential Lingkod Bayan Regional Award for Excellence in Public Service and ranking number 1 among all municipal mayors in Central Visayas. As the youngest member of the Marcos Cabinet, she has consistently been ranked one of the top-performing Secretaries of the Marcos administration, delivering solid outcomes and achievements for the Department.
From back-to-back international accolades for the Philippines to breaching tourism targets, her visionary leadership has propelled the country onto the world stage. Most recently, with the Philippines' election as vice presidency of the UNWTO General Assembly, a position once held by the country more than two decades ago, alongside the chairmanship of the UNWTO Commission for East Asia and the Pacific. As she makes a mark in the tourism industry, she has laid out some of the most groundbreaking innovations yet, leveraging on collaborative and shared governance that leaves no destination and people behind, with the Filipino at the heart of the industry. Lauded by the entire tourism industry, SKAL International recently distinguished her with the prestigious Tourism Good Governance Award. Since her assumption to office, tourism reclaimed its pole position in the Philippine economy as the 2nd top driver of the country's growth and development, employing millions of Filipinos. Their world-renowned brand of warm hospitality has made the world "Love the Philippines," bringing us a step closer to fulfilling the President's vision of transforming the Philippines into a tourism powerhouse in Asia.