By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter
Actor Cesar D. Montano has stepped down as chief operating officer (COO) of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) amid the controversy over his P80-million Buhay Carinderia food-promotion project with marketing agency Marylindbert International Inc.
“Yes, of course,” newly appointed Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat told BusinessWorld in a text message on Monday evening, May 21, when asked if she was aware of Mr. Montano’s resignation.
In a text message to Palace reporters, the tourism chief said that she “would like to consider the matter closed from [her] active involvement.”
She also said that she “trust(s)” that the Commission on Audit (CoA) “will get to the bottom of this episode.”
In his resignation letter, as shared by Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher Lawrence T. Go, Mr. Montano said: “In faithful adherence to my duty as a public servant, I am respectfully tendering my courtesy resignation as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), effective immediately.”
He said he is “grateful for the trust and the opportunity” that President Rodrigo R. Duterte has bestowed upon him “to serve [the] country through the Tourism Promotions Board.”
Documents obtained by BusinessWorld last week showed that a total of 80,640,172.80 has been paid in tranches, as of April 4, to Marylindbert even before the project had started.
In a press conference on May 17, Ms. Romulo-Puyat announced that she had ordered the suspension of the implementation of Mr. Montano’s project.
She said she wrote a letter to CoA requesting it to review the projects under Mr. Montano’s watch.
In his press briefing at the Palace on Monday morning, Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. said the President is “very pleased” with Ms. Romulo-Puyat’s handling of the DoT.
“She was appointed with the expressed mandate to do good and to fight corruption and she is doing just that. The President is very pleased,” Mr. Roque said.
In an official statement on Tuesday, May 22, the TPB said its projects and programs “are expected to contribute significant returns on marketing investments that are beneficial in promoting Philippine tourism.”
“Amidst the current controversies, the TPB remains a professional organization that works relentlessly in promoting the Philippines domestically and internationally,” the TPB added.
The agency also extended its support to the direction of Ms. Romulo-Puyat in “guaranteeing transparency in all of its dealings.”
On May 8, Wanda T. Teo also resigned as tourism chief amid criticism over the P60-million DoT advertisement issue, involving her brothers, Bienvenido “Ben” T. Tulfo of media company Bitag Media and broadcaster Erwin T. Tulfo of PTV-4.

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