National Unity Party (NUP) president Luis Raymund Villafuerte has issued a strong rebuke against Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, following her public statement defending her husband Cebu Rep. Duke Frasco’s political realignment and claim of “political persecution” by Congress.
“Secretary Frasco’s attempt to deflect criticism by playing the victim card and blaming budget cuts is both misleading and unacceptable,” said Villafuerte, former Camarines Sur Representative.
“Let’s talk about real performance. Even in her own province of Cebu, tourism arrivals have dropped. If she cannot even grow tourism in her own backyard, how can we expect her to effectively promote Philippine tourism nationwide?”
The NUP president and CamSur governor questioned Secretary Frasco’s narrative that Congress is to blame for her department’s shrinking budget.
“Why is Secretary Frasco blaming Congress when her own husband, Congressman Duke Frasco, was a high-ranking official there—a Deputy Speaker?” Villafuerte asked. “Is she now admitting that her husband, as Deputy Speaker, was not competent enough to defend the DOT’s budget in Congress?”
Frasco has blamed political retaliation for the steep budget cuts to her department.
In the case of Camarines Sur, a former top tourist destination, Villafuerte lamented the lack of action from the Department of Tourism under Frasco’s leadership.
“The only visible project was the inauguration of a tourism information center in San Jose, a place with no significant tourist traffic. It’s a clear waste of government funds, with no justification for setting up a center in such a location,” he said.
The NUP president stressed that the issue is not political affiliation but competence, accountability, and performance.
“Congressman Duke Frasco was removed from NUP not because of his independent stance, but because his actions no longer aligned with the party’s principles of results-driven leadership and good governance,” Villafuerte said.
Despite the DOT’s shrinking promotion budget, Secretary Frasco said the tourism sector still posted impressive figures. The country welcomed 5.95 million international arrivals in 2024, while visitor receipts—both foreign and domestic—reached P3.86 trillion.
