Philippine president names new tourism secretary

Philippine President Rodrigo Dutetre has named Agriculture Undersecretary Bernadette Puyat as the new secretary of the Department of Tourism (DOT) a day after he fired Wanda Teo over corruption allegations.

Duterte made the appointment on Tuesday night. Duterte’s aide Christopher Go confirmed Puyat’s appointment late Tuesday.

Puyat was undersecretary for administration, agribusiness and marketing, and regional engagement at the Department of Agriculture before her appointment as tourism secretary.

Teo is the latest senior government official that Duterte fired over corruption charges.  The tourism department has been burdened by corruption issues and the impact of the six-month closure of Boracay island, the country’s premier tourist destination.