Updated on February 16 // 9:19PM
Tourism stalwart Roberto “Bob” Zozobrado officially assumed the role of general manager and chief operating officer of the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA), an attached agency of the Department Tourism, in an oath-taking ceremony held Thursday at the DOT Central Office.
“I take pride in being of service to our country. My career has spanned all sectors of the tourism industry—international airlines, travel agencies, tour operations, international hotel chains, destination marketing, tourism academe, and tourism journalism,” he said.
“So, I have always wanted to cap my career with government service. This is a dream come true for me. Working for the government is a completely new ballgame for me, but anything new excites me,” the new PRA chief added.
Zozobrado, a columnist for the Manila Standard, has held various roles in the aviation and hospitality sectors. He was a former public relations specialist, director of sales for a hotel chain, and a marketing consultant.
Before his appointment at the PRA, Zozobrado served as the president of the Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP) and was instrumental in formalizing a memorandum of understanding that automatically inducted newly accredited travel and tourism establishments as TCP members.
He added that his extensive experience as a marketing expert will come in handy in increasing PRA’s present market.
He has also chaired the Philippines chapter of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), another national tourism association. Zozobrado is also named as a member of the PRA Board of Trustees.
The PRA is a government-owned and controlled corporation created by virtue of Executive Order No. 1037, signed by former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. in July 1985.
It is mandated to develop and promote the Philippines as a retirement haven as a means of accelerating the social and economic development of the country, strengthening its foreign exchange position at the same time providing the best quality of life to the targeted retirees in a most attractive package.
Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco chairs the PRA Board of Trustees, with Tourism undersecretary Ferdinand Jumapao as the alternate chair.