Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 9) — President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed actor and former tourism official Mark Lapid back to the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority which he previously headed, Malacañang confirmed on Saturday.
“Tourism is one of the most important sectors of our economy, and the appointment of Mr. Lapid, who is no stranger to TIEZA, augurs well in contributing to the recovery and growth of tourism, which has been affected by the pandemic,” said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque in a statement.
TIEZA implements programs and policies of the Department of Tourism related to the development, promotion, and supervision of tourism projects.
Lapid, the son of Senator Lito Lapid, used to sit at the helm of TIEZA before he resigned in 2016 to run for senator — a bid he eventually lost.
In 2018, he faced graft charges, along with former Tourism Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo and other officials, for an alleged anomalous deal to operate Boracay’s sewerage system.
Like his father, Lapid also starred in “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano” before exiting the show in 2019.
