Former Negros Occidental tourism officer Cristine Mansinares was appointed officer-in-charge of the Department of Tourism Region 6.
DOT-6 outgoing director Helen Catalbas said that Mansinares will assume the position effective April 17 because of her retirement Friday, April 16.
Catalbas had served the government for more than 44 years.
Mansinares said that Catalbas was supposed to retire in 2020, but had to extend for a year as she was leading the rehabilitation of the world-renowned Boracay Island.
She said that the pandemic has been challenging to the tourism sector as “there is no template on how to weather the situation.”
However, she pointed out that the current situation has resulted in the “intense collaboration of the stakeholders because everybody wants to save everybody.”
Mansinares, who was the DOT-6 tourism operations officer prior to her promotion, had served the provincial tourism office for nine years. She had also served the Sipalay City Tourism Office.
She said that the DOT-6 has put in place its rehabilitation and recovery plan to guide the local government units when they open their tourist sites.*