Malacanang yesterday announced the appointment of seven officials to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) central office, Land Transportation Office (LTO), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina).
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista has sworn into office on separate occasions Kim Robert de Leon, former Department of Budget and Management undersecretary, as DOTr undersecretary for administration; Elmer Francisco Sarmiento as undersecretary for the maritime sector; and Timothy John Batan, former DOTr undersecretary for railways, as undersecretary for planning and project development. Also sworn in were Teofilo Guadiz III as LTO assistant secretary, Carlito Castillo as PPA assistant general manager for engineering, and Francisquiel Mancile as PPA assistant general manager for operations.
Castillo’s previous stint was as PPA manager for port construction and maintenance, while Mancile served as PPA port manager of Marinduque/Quezon.
Earlier, Hernani Nieves Fabia also took his oath as administrator of Marina.
Fabia was president of PNTC Colleges, a seafarers training facility based in Cavite and Quezon City, and has 38 years of experience in the maritime industry.
During their oath-taking, Bautista urged the newly appointed officials to fulfill President Marcos Jr.’s marching order to go full speed ahead with the modernization of the country’s transport system. – Myla Iglesias
