The camp of President-elect Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. has bared picks for a slew of transportation-related posts, headed by its designated Department of Transportation (DOTr) secretary.
A statement from Press Secretary-designate Trixie Cruz-Angeles on Thursday afternoon, June 23, said that veteran airline executive Jaime "Jimmy" Bautista will be the DOTr head honcho of the incoming Marcos administration.
"Bautista, a Certified Public Accountant, worked at the country's flagship Philippine Airlines (PAL) for 25 years and was its president for a combined 13 years before retiring for the second time in 2019," the statement read.
Bautista rose through the ranks of PAL, eventually becoming vice president for finance from 1993 to 1994, chief finance officer from 1994 to 1999, executive vice president from 1999 to 2004, and president from 2004 to 2012, and from 2014 until 2019.
The Marcos camp also named former Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) Deputy Administrator Cesar Chavez as undersecretary-designate for rails of the DOTr.
"Chavez, who President Rodrigo Duterte appointed to the same post in 2017, was instrumental in securing the NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority) Board's approval for the Metro Manila Subway, PNR (Philippine National Railways) Manila to Calamba, PNR Manila to Bicol, and the Tagum-Davao-Digos Mindanao rail projects," the statement added.
Chavez is also credited for overseeing the interconnection of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1 in Monumento to Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 in North Edsa, ensuring seamless travel for the passengers.
Before working in the transport sector, Chavez was assistant general manager for planning of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), chairman of the National Youth Commission (NYC), and youth sector representative in the House during the 9th Congress.
Meanwhile, veteran journalist and lawyer Cheloy Garafil, MNSA was nominated by President-elect Marcos as Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairman-designate.
Garafil, currently a service director at the Committee on Rules of the House of Representatives, was a prosecutor for the Department of Justice (DOJ) and state solicitor for the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).
She worked as a media practitioner for over a decade in various media organizations such as the Philippine Daily Globe, Central News Agency, Associated Press, and Malaya.
Rounding up the new set of nominees for the transport cluster is Christopher "Chet" Pastrana, who will be general manager-designate of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).
Pastrana, a successful businessman in the transportation field, brings with him decades of experience in various aspects of aviation, logistics, and public maritime transport.