Ever since she was appointed Secretary of Tourism on April 10 of this year, our savvy trade diplomat Maria Bernadita Angara-Mathay has been on a crash course of what being a Secretary in the Philippine political ‘fish bowl’ landscape is all about. So we were very lucky that the super-busy Secretary gave us a window of opportunity to join us, and conduct an MB Sit Down podcast episode.

Do look for the episode on YouTube and Spotify, as she mentioned it’s her first podcast ever as DOT Secretary; and it’s a great way to get to know a little more about Secretary Dita, both as our current Tourism head, and as the person behind the title. She touches on her immediate plans, we go through her bedrock of experience, and I try to scratch the surface to reveal her lighter side, her family life, and her keen sense of humor.

Toward the end of April, I had the chance to sit beside her at a Filipino culinary event mounted by chef Reggie Aspiras; and I joked her, and her husband Robbie, that one thing that they better be prepared for is how every public appearance will have her bombarded by requests for selfies, and besieged by countless individuals wanting to pose for photos with her. Back then, she actually laughed at my warning, saying it would only happen temporarily, because she’s a new face - and that kind of excitement would settle down in no time at all.

It’s now July, and I’m tempted to remind Sec. Dita and Robbie about those famous last words of hers. At the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA) General Membership Meeting and Launch of the 12th Virtus Awards, which happened in late June, and where she gave the keynote address; I was suppressing a smile as I watched her posing for photos for over ten minutes – her actual speech was a brisk five minutes.

She was due for an appointment elsewhere, but her goodbyes skidded to a halt as so many would position themselves to ask her to pose with them – and this continued even when she exited the function room, extending to the escalators of the Hilton. It was all done in a civilized, courteous manner, but the requests were never-ending; and she literally had to be whisked away by her staff, as so many were still patiently waiting in line. It was during this event that I met her daughter Courtney, who’s a medical doctor. And I think even she was surprised by this prolonged ritual of “selfies”; and how her Mom is now a bona fide celebrity.

Secretary Dita and Robbie are obviously very proud of Dr. Courtney. She’ll be taking her Medical Licensing Examination (MLE) in the USA at the end of the year; planning to then specialize in either Endocrinology or General Surgery. But while she’s in the country, she’s assumed the role of Head Executive Assistant (HEA) to her Mom. And while attending the launch of the Discover More to Love campaign, during the DOT’s Central Philippines Tourism Expo 2026 (CPTEx), held at Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna, Courtney switched back to doctor mode, when she was among the first responders, attending to one media person who had fainted from the heat.

As HEA, Sec. Dita likes to make the comment that Courtney is now in charge of her schedule, and her life, and is bossy about it. But of course, the Secretary is all smiles as she says this; and sensing how close the family is, I’d venture to say that Courtney’s taking on the role of HEA while she’s here is about giving the family a stronger reason for being together most of the time. While he stays in the background, will sit on a separate table, and just be waiting for when she exits, I always see Robbie keeping an eye out for the Secretary; in a unobtrusive, but truly supportive, manner.

Prior to her DOT appointment, Secretary Dita was the Commercial Counselor of the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Tokyo, and a Senior Special Trade Representative of the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI). So when our President called out the mantra for future Tourism development as “jobs, businesses and investments, and regional cooperation,” Secretary Dita was more than ready to execute this battle-cry. It shouldn’t be just about foreign visitor arrivals. There has to be an approach that takes into consideration the low-hanging fruit, while thinking and planning long-term on infrastructure and connectivity.

One low-hanging fruit would be domestic tourism. I mentioned Discover More to Love. This is a shared platform that brings together modes of transportation, the hotels, DOT regional offices, and other stakeholders to offer better options to local travelers. The observation that it’s so expensive to be a tourist here has been noted, and action has been taken.

I don’t want to pre-empt our podcast, so I’ll leave it you to watch it, and glean why we all should be praying for Sec. Dita’s success. Today, the funding and parameters for National Development look to Remittances, the BPO industry, and Tourism, as among the top drivers. Global geopolitical events easily impact remittances, and AI casts a looming shadow on the BPO arena; so more than ever, we need to up our Tourism game!