PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. has named former Labor Undersecretary Danilo Cruz as director general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and bowling legend Olivia “Bong” Coo as commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Malacañang said yesterday.
Also appointed were officials of attached agencies of the Department of Transportation (DOTr),
Cruz served as an undersecretary of the Department of Labor and Employment under the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
TESDA was created to manage and supervise technical education and skills development in the Philippines and promote technical education and skills development of the Filipino workforce. TESDA integrated the functions of the former National Manpower and Youth Council, the Bureau of Technical-Vocational Education of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports and the Office of Apprenticeship of the Department of Labor and Employment.
Coo is a four-time world bowler, a member of the World Bowling Hall of Fame and Philippine Sports Hall of fame, a five-time Asian Games gold medalist, 14-time Asian champion, and eight-time Southeast Asian Games gold winner.
She has served as president of the Philippine Bowling Federation and is a former chairwoman of the Women in Sports Commission of the Philippine Olympic Committee.
The PSC was established to advocate for the development of Philippine sports by helping shape policies and setting priorities through the implementation of a national sports program and support talented athletes for high level competitions, among others.
The appointees in the attached agencies of the DOTr took their oath before Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista.
They are Hernani Fabias, founding chairman of the Philippine Nautical and Technological Colleges, as head of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA; retired police general Ma. O Ranada Aplasca, administrator of the Office for Transportation Security; Edgardo Diaz, deputy director general for operations of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP); Manuel Antonio Tamayo, CAAP deputy director general for administration and finance; and Cesar Chiong, acting general manager of the Manila International Airport Authority.
Carmelo Arcilla retained his position as executive director of the Civil Aeronautics Board.
DEFENSE DEP’T
Defense officer-in-charge Jose Faustino Jr, a former Armed Forces chief, has selected four retired Army generals to become undersecretaries of the Department of National (DND) proper.
The four were among personalities Faustino recently recommended to Marcos for DND positions.
Three of the four undersecretaries are Faustino’s classmates at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Maringal” Class of 1988. They are retired Lt. Gen. Franco Nemesio Gacal, retired Brig. Gen. Ignacio Madriaga, and retired Maj. Gen. Pio Diñoso III.
Cagal was recommended as the undersecretary for civil, veterans, and reserve affairs; Madriaga as undersecretary for strategic assessment and planning; and Diñoso as undersecretary for acquisition and resource management.
Gacal, who retired from the AFP in December last year upon reaching the retirement age of 56, was last assigned as the AFP’s inspector general.
Madriaga last served in the military as chief of the AFP Office of the Strategic Studies and Strategy Management. He retired from military service in July 2020.
Diñoso’s last assignment in the military was as commander of the 8th Infantry Division. He retired in October last year.
The fourth undersecretary at the DND proper recommended by Faustino was retired Maj. Gen. Angelito de Leon, as undersecretary for capability assessment and development.
De Leon, of the PMA Class 1984, last served in the military as commander of the Army’s 7th Infantry Division. He retired in October 2017.
De Leon served as DND assistant secretary for plans and programs during the time of Faustino’s predecessor, Delfin Lorenzana who is now chairman of the Bases Conversion Development Authority.
Faustino’s recommendations have yet to be approved by Marcos.
Faustino has also chosen retired Army Lt. Gen. Reynaldo Mapagu, a former Army chief and AFP vice chief, to be the administrator of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) with the rank of undersecretary.
Mapagu, a member of the PMA Class 1978, served as DND undersecretary for civil, veterans, and reserve affairs during the time of Lorenzana as DND secretary.
Faustino also recommended retired Army Lt. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer as administrator of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD). Like Mapagu, Ferrer will have the rank of undersecretary.
Ferrer, a member of the PMA Class 1977, was commander of the AFP Western Mindanao Command.
The OCD and PVAO are bureaus under the DND.
Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Ferdinand Cartujano was also recommended as president of the National Defense College of the Philippines, another DND bureau.
Cartujano, also a PMA classmate of Faustino, retired from the Armed Forces last month. He was last posted as superintendent of the PMA in Baguio City.
Faustino described his recommended officials as “highly qualified for their respective positions in light of their technical expertise, competence, and strong leadership qualities which are vital and necessary in the successful pursuit of the mandate of the department.” — With Victor Reyes
