Christina Frasco

Filipino politician
The Honourable
Christina Frasco
Official portrait, 2022
18th Secretary of Tourism
Incumbent
Assumed office
June 30, 2022
PresidentBongbong Marcos
Preceded byBernadette Romulo-Puyat
Mayor of Liloan, Cebu
In office
June 30, 2016 – July 2, 2022
Vice MayorVincent Franco Frasco (2016–2019)
Thelma Jordan (2019–2022)
Aljew Frasco (2022)
Preceded byVincent Franco Frasco
Succeeded byAljew Frasco
Personal details
Born
Ma. Esperanza Christina Garcia Codilla

(1981-12-25) December 25, 1981 (age 42)[1]
Political partyLakas–CMD (2021–present)[2]
One Cebu (2015–present)
Other political
affiliations
PDP–Laban (2017–2021)[3]
Spouse
Vincent Franco "Duke" Frasco
(m. 2009)
Children4
Parent
  • Gwendolyn Garcia (mother)
Alma materAteneo de Manila University (BS, JD)
ProfessionLawyer

Ma. Esperanza Christina Codilla Frasco[4] (born Ma. Esperanza Christina Garcia Codilla; December 25, 1981), also known as Christina Garcia Frasco, is a Filipino politician serving as Secretary of Tourism since June 30, 2022. She was the mayor of Liloan, Cebu from 2016 to 2022.[5]

Frasco is a lawyer by profession, having previously practiced international arbitration and commercial litigation in the Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc and Delos Angeles law firm. She is the daughter of incumbent Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and granddaughter of former governor and representative Pablo P. Garcia.[1]

Education

Franco earned her bachelor's degree in Legal Management from Ateneo de Manila University, followed by the completion of her Juris Doctor at the same institution in 2006.[6] Subsequently, she passed the bar examinations in 2007.[7][8]

Political career

Mayor of Liloan (2016–2022)

In 2016, Frasco succeeded her husband Duke Frasco as the Mayor of Liloan. Before taking on the role, she served as the first lady of Liloan. She secured re-election for her second term in 2019.

In 2021, Frasco was awarded the Presidential Lingkod Bayan Regional Award by the Civil Service Commission in its 2021 Search for Outstanding Government Workers. The award is conferred upon an individual for exceptional or extraordinary contributions resulting from performance that had nationwide impact on public interest, security, and patrimony.[citation needed]

In a non-commissioned public satisfaction survey published in August 2021, Frasco was the top performing mayor in Central Visayas, ranking number 1 among the 116 mayors in the entire region, and number 1 among all 44 municipal mayors in Cebu.[citation needed]

Under Frasco's administration, Liloan was awarded the Top Philippine Model Municipality in 2019 by The Manila Times. In the same year, Liloan was granted other national awards, namely, the Top Philippine Education Hub for its scholarship program, Top Philippine Retirement Haven, and Top Philippine Wealth Center for business friendliness and proactive programs on infrastructure and economic development.[9] In 2019 and 2020, the Department of Trade and Industry named Liloan as the Most Resilient Municipality in the Philippines.[citation needed]

In 2019, Frasco was elected as president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) – Cebu Chapter, the first woman to hold the position, and as National Vice President of LMP.[10][11] In July 2021, Frasco was appointed as the spokesperson of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.[12]

Secretary of Tourism (2022–present)

Frasco ran for reelection in the 2022 Cebu local elections and was successful in winning her third term.[13] However, she was later selected as the next Secretary of Tourism by president-elect Bongbong Marcos.[14] She resigned as mayor and was succeeded by her running mate and cousin-in-law, Aljew Frasco, who was initially elected as vice mayor that year.[15]

During Frasco's tenure as tourism secretary, the controversial Love the Philippines tourism slogan was adopted beginning in 2023, replacing the decade-long It's More Fun in the Philippines! slogan.

Personal life

Frasco married Vincent Franco "Duke" Frasco, an incumbent member of the House of Representatives representing Cebu's 5th congressional district, in August 2009.[16] They have four children together.[17]

References

  1. ^ a b "Piniliay sa 2016: Liloan" (in Cebuano). SuperBalita Cebu. 4 May 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2020. Natawo sa adlaw sa Pasko niadtong 1981...
  2. ^ Letigio, Delta Dyrecka (November 27, 2021). "Garcia-Frasco joins LAKAS-CMD". CDN Digital. Inquirer Group. Archived from the original on November 28, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  3. ^ Bunachita, Jose Santino S.; Erram, Morexette Marie (November 17, 2017). "Cebu is now PDP-LABAN country". Cebu Daily News. Inquirer Group. Archived from the original on November 18, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  4. ^ "Certified List of Candidates - Cebu" (PDF). comelec.gov.ph. Commission on Elections. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 19, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  5. ^ "Liloan - LGA". Local Government Academy. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  6. ^ "A DOT-ing Mom & Lawyer: Tourism Secretary Christina G. Frasco". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  7. ^ "CODILLA, MA. ESPERANZA CHRISTINA G.; Cebu City; May 3, 2007; Roll No. 54428. | Lawyers List". Supreme Court of the Philippines. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  8. ^ Oaminal, Clarence Paul. "Judge Esperanza Fiel Garcia, the Joan of Arc of the cooperative movement". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  9. ^ "Liloan wins top awards". Municipality of Liloan. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  10. ^ Lorraine Ecarma (July 13, 2019). "Frasco is new LMP-Cebu prexy". The Freeman. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  11. ^ Rosalie Abatayo (November 10, 2019). "Christina Frasco wins LMP national VP for Visayas". CDN Digital. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  12. ^ "Mayor Frasco is Inday Sara's spox". INQUIRER.net. July 18, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  13. ^ "Frascos dominate in Cebu's fifth district; Gwendolyn Garcia remains governor of Cebu province". Manila Bulletin. May 11, 2022. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  14. ^ Mercado, Neil Arwin (May 30, 2022). "Sara Duterte spox Christina Frasco to serve as tourism secretary". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  15. ^ Erram, Morexette Marie (July 3, 2022). "Liloan officials sworn into new roles". CDN Digital. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  16. ^ Ynclino, Flor (August 27, 2009). "The Grand Wedding of Duke and Christina". Philstar.com. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  17. ^ "Cong. Duke and Mayor Christina welcome new baby". SunStar. July 28, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
Political offices
Preceded by
Vincent Franco Frasco
Mayor of Liloan, Cebu
2016–2022
Succeeded by
Aljew Frasco
Preceded by Secretary of Tourism
2022–present
Incumbent
Order of precedence
Preceded byas Secretary of the Interior and Local Government Order of Precedence of the Philippines
as Secretary of Tourism
Succeeded byas Secretary of Transportation
  • v
  • t
  • e
Office Name Term Office Name Term
Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez
Lucas Bersamin
2022
2022–
Secretary of Interior and Local Government Benjamin Abalos Jr. 2022–
Secretary of Agrarian Reform Conrado Estrella III 2022– Secretary of Justice Jesus Crispin Remulla 2022–
Secretary of Agriculture Bongbong Marcos**
Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.
2022–2023
2023–
Secretary of Labor and Employment Bienvenido Laguesma 2022–
Secretary of Budget and Management Amenah Pangandaman 2022– Secretary of Migrant Workers Susan Ople
Hans Leo Cacdac*
2022–2023
2023–
Secretary of Education Sara Duterte-Carpio** 2022– Secretary of National Defense Jose Faustino Jr.*
Carlito Galvez Jr.*
Gilbert Teodoro
2022–2023
2023
2023–
Secretary of Energy Raphael Lotilla 2022– Secretary of Public Works and Highways Manuel Bonoan 2022–
Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources Maria Antonia Loyzaga 2022– Secretary of Science and Technology Renato Solidum Jr. 2022–
Secretary of Finance Benjamin Diokno
Ralph Recto
2022–2024
2024–
Secretary of Social Welfare and Development Erwin Tulfo
Eduardo Punay*
Rex Gatchalian
2022
2022–2023
2023–
Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo 2022– Secretary of Tourism Christina Garcia-Frasco 2022–
Secretary of Health Maria Rosario Vergeire*
Ted Herbosa
2022–2023
2023–
Secretary of Trade and Industry Alfredo Pascual 2022–
Secretary of Human Settlements and Urban Development Melissa Aradanas*
Jose Acuzar
2022
2022–
Secretary of Transportation Jaime Bautista 2022–
Secretary of Information and Communications Technology Ivan John Uy 2022–
Office Name Term Office Name Term
Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio 2022– Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo Jr. 2022–
Secretary of the Presidential Communications Office Rose Beatrix Angeles
Cheloy Garafil
2022
2022–
National Security Adviser Clarita Carlos
Eduardo Año
2022–2023
2023–
National Economic and Development Authority
  Secretary
Arsenio Balisacan 2022– Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Carlito Galvez Jr.
Isidro L. Purisima*
Carlito Galvez Jr.
2022–2023
2023
2023–
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile 2022– Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Terence Calatrava 2022–
Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra 2022– Presidential Adviser on Legislative Affairs Irene Afortunado
Mark Llandro Mendoza
2022
2022–
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Andres Centino
Bartolome Vicente Bacarro
Andres Centino
Romeo Brawner Jr.
2021–2022
2022–2023
2023
2023–
Secretary of the Presidential Management Staff Zenaida Angping
Elaine T. Masukat*
2022
2023–
Presidential Adviser on Creative Communications Paul Soriano 2022–2023 Presidential Adviser for Poverty Alleviation Larry Gadon 2023–
Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Frederick Go 2023– Presidential Assistant for Maritime Concerns Andres Centino 2023–
Presidential Adviser on Military and Police Affairs Roman A. Felix 2022–
*as Officer-in-charge
**in Concurrent capacity