Secretary Ma. Esperanza Christina Garcia Frasco leads the Department of Tourism since the start of the Marcos administration. Prior to being handpicked for this post, she was she was elected to serve three terms as Mayor of the Municipality of Liloan in Cebu, which received more than 40 good governance awards and citations from various award-giving bodies under her leadership. She was also a practicing lawyer in international arbitration and commercial litigation, and a law professor in international law. Since she assumed office in 2022, significant institutional reforms have been introduced to the tourism industry through the three-pronged strategy of Connectivity, Convenience, and Equality, focused on reintroducing the Philippines to the world upon the strength of its multi-dimensional tourism offerings. Signaling the Asia Pacific’s confidence in Philippine tourism, the Philippines, as represented by Secretary Frasco, was recently elected Vice President of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) General Assembly and Chairman of the Commission on East Asia and the Pacific, as well as Host of the UNWTO Joint Commission Meetings for East Asia and the Pacific and South Asia in 2024. Secretary Frasco continues the Marcos Administration’s efforts towards Philippine tourism’s transformation as Asia’s tourism powerhouse and a major economic pillar and driver of the country's post-pandemic recovery.