President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has named former Lanao del Sur representative Mohammed Hussein Pangandaman as the new administrator of the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB), the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) announced.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (File photo)

Pangandaman was among the 15 appointees the PCO bared in a Facebook post on Sunday morning, May 7. All of their appointments took effect on April 28.

FAB is an agency attached to the Office of the President that operates and manages the Freeport Area of Bataan in Mariveles, Bataan. It was initially designed as an Export Processing Zone.

Based on its website, FAB aims to provide jobs to people, especially those in rural areas, and increase productivity and individual and family income, thereby improving living conditions.

FAB is tasked to, among others, establish special economic zones in suitable and strategic locations through measures that will attract legitimate and productive foreign investments.

Aside from Pangandaman, President Marcos named Annabelle Ploteña as an acting member of the Board of Directors of the Southern Philippines Development Authority.

Other appointments

Marcos named Department of Education (DepEd) spokesman Michael Poa as DepEd undersecretary, while Sunshine Charry Fajarda was appointed assistant secretary.

Police Brigadier General Eugenio Paguirigan is now Director IV at the Office of Transportation Security (OTS) under the Department of Transportation (DOTr). Paguirigan is the former chief of the Internal Security Operations Division (ISOD) of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Other appointees named by the PCO were:

• Anthony Alcantara, Special Envoy on Transnational Crime (Office of the President)
• Ronald Cabute, Director II (National Telecommunications Commission)
• Nelson Cañete, Director II (NTC)
• Ma. Victoria Deypalubos, Director II (NTC)
• Avelino Caraan Jr., board member representing the labor sector (TESDA)
• Shirley Vicoy-Yorong, board member representing the labor sector (TESDA)
• Teodoro Gatchalian, Undersecretary (Department of Science and Technology)
• Romela Ratilla, Director IV (DOST)
• Maria Blanca Kim Lokin, Undersecretary (Department of Trade and Industry)
• Maria Lourdes Saluta, Director III (Tariff Commission)