This noon, Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) Secretary Ramon Carandang officially announced before the Malacanang Press Corps (MPC) the appointment of Ramon "Mon" Reyes Jimenez, Jr. to the Department of Tourism, as its new Secretary, upon the resignation of Secretary Alberto Aldaba Lim which took effect August 31, 2011.
Secretary Carandang's
statement, which gave a brief background on the new Secretary is found in the
Official Gazette. Carandang formally introduced Secretary Jimenez to the public.
SECRETARY RAMON R. JIMENEZ, JR.
It is with great humility I accept the role of Tourism Secretary to President Benigno Aquino III. In accepting this role, I am keenly aware that I will succeed only if I begin by rallying the DOT staff, the team, tourism practitioners, government bureaucracy and the general public around one very simple idea.
TOURISM IS THE PEOPLE'S BUSINESS.
Ang turismo po ay negosyo ng taumbayan.
As such its ultimate goal is not merely to improve statistics on tourist arrivals. Its real goal is to generate fulfilling and profitable income and employment for our people. In an area of endeavor where Filipinos tend to excel, I have much to contribute in terms in bringing strategic discipline to the challenge of promoting and developing the Philippines as one of the world's most exciting destination brands.
I am thankful to Secretary Lim for the important gains achieved in terms of preparing the way for a truly progressive and aggressive Philippine tourism industry.
To President Aquino my thanks for the trust and confidence. I will do my best to make tourism a hallmark of his administration’s drive to bring our people to the road to richer and prouder future.
Thank you.
After his speech, he entertained a few questions. Here are some of the questions he answered from the MPC:
SANDRA AGUINALDO: The tourism industry is not just about advertising. What do you plan to bring in or contribute to the Department of Tourism?
SEC. JIMENEZ: You’re very right. Advertising in fact is not about slogans. Advertising is about strategic discipline. In fact, I am a marketing communications person when you think about it because that’s what we need. We need a real insight into the market place and a solution. I am engaged in solution finding and marketing communications for very many years. So you’re very right to ask that question. It’s not just that. In fact, job number 1, is to galvanize the DOT staff into an honest to goodness selling unit. Kasi yun naman ang trabaho namin eh. Mga tindero kami, actually.
ROSE MIRANDA: Kelan kayo nainform ng Presidente? Ano ang marching orders niya sa inyo?
SEC. JIMENEZ: Sufficed to say, it was fairly recent. He really thought about it long and hard. My marching orders as I mentioned earlier are really very simple. Tourism is the people’s business. We have no business in engaging in this industry if it’s not going to benefit our people. So we’ve got to built an entire industry that’s focused on generating income and employement.
ROSE MIRANDA: May mga dating programs ba si Secretary Lim na itutuloy ninyo?
SEC. JIMENEZ: My fervent wish is that I will be able to keep what I will find. Momentum is very important at this marketing game. So the answer is yes, yes, as much as I can keep.
