President Rodrigo Duterte administered the oath of office to Bernadette Romulo-Puyat as the new Department of Tourism Secretary during a ceremony at the President’s Hall in Malacañan Palace on Monday, May 14.

Puyat replaced Wanda Teo who recently resigned from her post.

Prior to her appointment, Puyat has been an Undersecretary for Administration, Agribusiness and Marketing, and Regional Engagement since July 2017 at the Department of Agriculture.

She also served as an Undersecretary for Special Concerns at the Agriculture department during the Aquino administration.

She likewise served in the government of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as a consultant at the Presidential Management Staff.

Puyat is the daughter of former Senator and Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo and Rosie Lovely Tecson-Romulo.

She was widowed in 2010 after her husband, Atty. David Puyat, died of heart attack.

Puyat earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Economics from the University of the Philippines where she also taught for nine years.

Puyat was joined by her daughter and her parents during the oath-taking.

After the ceremony, President Duterte hosted a simple dinner for the newly appointed Tourism secretary and her family along with several guests at the President’s Hall. ### (PND)