Tieza has new GM

President Rodrigo Duterte appointed recently Pocholo Joselito D. Paragas as General Manager (GM) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza). 

Paragas’ administration and management skills culled from 20 years of experience forging private enterprises and doing consultancy work in banking and finance, land development, and the tourism service industry fits into the role as GM and COO of Tieza , considering the agency’s vast responsibilities of building the country’s much-needed tourism infrastructures.

Born on December 24, 1977, Mr. Paragas carved a niche for himself in business development after graduating with a degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of the Philippines in Diliman and pursuing further units for Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in the Ateneo de Manila Graduate School.

Tieza was created by virtue of Republic Act No. 9593 or the Tourism Act of 2009 on May 12, 2009, replacing the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA). Tieza is mandated to continue the functions previously exercised by PTA under Presidential Declaration 564.

Tieza acts as Department of Tourism’s implementing arm in providing support infrastructures and facilitating investments in tourism enterprise zones (TEZ) nationwide. This is carried out through its main functions — infrastructure development; designation, regulation and supervision of TEZs; management of its existing assets or facilitation of their privatization; and administration of the collection of the Philippine Travel Tax.

Administratively under the Department of Tourism, Tieza is responsible for implementing policies and programs of the department pertaining to the development, promotion, and supervision of tourism projects in the Philippines.

With Paragas at the helm of Tieza, Philippine tourism is expected to grow and attain its goal to be globally competitive and innovative.

The Tourism Act of 2009, principally authored by Sen. Dick Gordon, himself a former tourism secretary, also supports the establishment of Tourism Enterprise Zones (TEZs) to be the centers of tourism development in the country. Tieza is mandated to designate, regulate and supervise the TEZs established under this Act, as well as develop, manage and supervise tourism infrastructure projects in the country.

As the infrastructure arm of DOT, Tieza has to merge public and private initiatives and investments in tourism, pursuant to the policies set by its Board which is chaired by the Secretary of Tourism.

The Tieza is governed by a Board of Directors composed of the secretaries of DOT, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Tieza Chief Operating Officer, the Tourism Promotion Board (TPB) Chief Operating Officer, and five representative directors recommended by the Tourism Congress.