In its popular usage, ‘doting’ refers to showing exceptional love or caring for someone or something. As I had my interview with our Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina G. Frasco, it became too irresistible to use the pun, as Sec. Christina is more than ready to shower this doting aspect of her personality on the various roles she now has to effect, as she strives to be of service to country, to family, and to her profession. And don’t even think of asking her to put those three in any order of priority, as while Sec. Christina acknowledges that service to country is paramount, she is made of sterner stuff, and I’m certain she’ll give all three her utmost attention.
Poised to assume her third term as Liloan Mayor, she got the call from then President-elect BongBong Marcos to take on the role of DOT Secretary, and after consulting with her family, Vice-Pres. Sara Duterte, and her Liloan political party-mates in Cebu, she accepted the post - enthusiastic that here was an opportunity to play a role on a national stage, and in a Department that she knows will play a crucial role in our post-pandemic national recovery.
Daughter of incumbent Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, and wife to Cebu 5th District Representative Duke Frasco, Sec. Christina is a mother to four children. The eldest is a daughter, Sofia, then they had three sons in succession - Liam, Franco, and Xavier (11 months old). She’s a Legal Management graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University, and completed her Law Degree at the Ateneo Law School. She spent a decade in the legal profession, where she practiced international arbitration and commercial litigation with the Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc and Delos Angeles law firm, and then taught Law at the University of San Carlos in Cebu.
Succeeding her husband, she became Mayor of Liloan, Cebu in 2016. She’s been elected President of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) - Cebu Chapter, and served as National Vice President of the LMP. A survey in August 2021 named her the Top Performing Mayor in Central Visayas, ranking her Number 1 among the 116 Mayors in Region 7. The 2021 Search for Outstanding Government Workers garnered her a Presidential Lingkod Bayan Regional Award by the Civil Service Commission.
Under her mayorship, Liloan was considered the Most Resilient Municipality in the Philippines in 2019 and 2020, by the Department of Trade & Industry. Liloan has also been cited as a Top Philippine Education Hub, a Top Philippine Retirement Haven, a Top Philippine Wealth Center; and over three years, received the highest finding bestowed on a post-audit by the Commission on Audit.
It’s this kind of administrative prowess, coupled with a sharp legal mind, that Sec. Christina now brings to the DoT - so expect her to hit the ground running, find her stride, and stamp her personality on this Department in the months to come. A doer and an achiever, she sets an exacting standard for herself, and expects the same dedication and commitment from those serving under her.
The first real smile that I elicit from Sec. Christina is when I ask her if she’s ‘terribly O-C’; and she laughs, while nodding. As she explains it, it’s all about organization, and she’s always been a stickler for organizing her life. And I get it, balancing your life as wife and mother to four children, while being Mayor, and now Secretary of Tourism, would be about possessing an extraordinary amount of drive and energy, while letting organization skills ensure that no minute of the day is put to waste, or that unnecessary compromises are made.
Further to this, Secretary Christina makes mention that her legal background means she’s always proactive, and anticipating for different possibilities and outcomes. This legal training also means she’s open to opposing ideas, ready to compromise, and that she makes sure she’s well versed on the different facets of any issue.
Her two terms as Liloan Mayor has her appreciating how national policy can often suffer from a disconnect with local implementation. To offset this and prepare her setting effective policies, she’s been doing Listening Tours, so that first-hand, she can engage with LGU’s, tourism stakeholders, and the private sector - from hotels and restaurants, to tour operators and tour guides. At the time of this interview, she had completed these tours in Cebu and the Clark-Subic area. And once again, her Mayor background gifts her with a special lens for appreciating different and vested interests, and formulating solutions that will keep most happy.
Sustainable Tourism will be one of the cornerstones of Sec. Christina tenure as DoT head. Sustainability was one of her advocacies while Liloan Mayor, and she’s ready to enumerate the many ways in which she made Sustainabilty relevant, accessible, and of impact for her Liloan constituents - and not some pie in the sky concept, or lofty goal for the future. The big idea was to make Sustainability inclusive, so her constituents would actively seek it, as it would work to their advantage. There were Green Points; so that private developers who followed certain construction and development Sustainability guidelines would earn points that could be used as discounts for the Environmental fees and permits.
Zoning regulations were strictly carried out under a master plan that clearly delineated areas for commercial development, and which areas were to be maintained as protected forest cover. This was in line with how, as Liloan Mayor, she wanted to protect the rustic charm of Liloan, despite its proximity to Mandaue, and being a part of Metro Cebu. Liloan was where you enjoyed city living, while pockets of rural countryside still existed. In fact, if there’s something that was on the agenda of Sec. Christina’s intended third term, it was to achieve cityhood. From a population of 119,000 in 2015, there had been an increase to 153,197 in 2020; and Sec. Christina jokes about her four children being part of the drive to encourage Lilioan residents to have children.
In consultation with the President, Sec. Frasco already has earmarked 7 main objectives for the Department of Tourism; 1) the Improvement of Tourism Infrastructure and Accessibility, 2) Cohesive and Comprehensive Digitalization and Connectivity, 3) Enhancement of Overall Tourist Experience, 4) Equalization of Tourism Product and Development, 5) Diversification of Portfolio through Multidimensional Tourism, 6) Maximization of Domestic Tourism, and 7) Strengthening Tourism Governance through Close Collaboration with LGUs and Stakeholders.
She plans to review, rationalize, and make decisions about the numerous attached agencies of the DoT. In line with what the President has announced, the thrust is for Government ‘right-sizing’, in order to create maximum efficiency, and reduce duplication, functional overlap, and/or redundancy.
At one point, Secretary Christina smiles and asks if she talk too much. Madame Secretary, the answer is Yes - but that’s fine with me. Like the astute lawyer she is, she has a firm and prolific grasp of the issues and what she wants to say. And like a lawyer presenting her case, she enumerates the facts succinctly without repeating herself, or laboring on any point. It is a gift that will be of service in the years to come, and it helps me understand why she was such an effective and lauded local politician, and why this local perspective will be used to great advantage as she takes on the responsibilities and challenges of being the Secretary of Tourism.
Top Gun: Maverick is the first movie that Sec. Christina and Duke got to watch in a cinema since the pandemic began. It’s also the last movie she’s since watched, as life has suddenly become a little crazier. But it’s a crazy challenge that she’s ready to meet head-on; and I know I’ll be looking forward to watching her drive Philippine tourism upwards, with her personal brand of leadership. Her vision is to raise the caliber of government services, to satisfy the constituents, and exceed the expectations that people have of Government - while keeping one eye on long term goals. Her success in realizing this vision will be part of our success in achieving national recovery.