ILOILO City – The Department of Tourism (DOT) in Western Visayas has a new director – Crisanta Marlene P. Rodriguez.
Rodriguez has over 16 years of experience in development work in the Philippines, partnering and working with upland and coastal communities in developing sustainable livelihood and protecting the environment.
Prior to her appointment at DOT Region 6, she was the director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) Biodiversity Management Bureau from 2018 to 2019.
She also served as regional executive director of DENR Region 9 where she received the JCI Philippines Western Mindanao’s Pinay Power Award 2020 for her “exemplary dedication to serve beyond the boundaries of her position” (JCI Yllana, 2020).
“Our aim is to boost tourism revenues for Region 6, highlighting the heritage, culture, arts, and experiences in the provinces, towns and cities. One of my initial plans as the regional director is to solidify the partnership among the DOT, local government units and stakeholders,” Rodriguez said
The new DOT-6 director also hopes to build community-based tourism in the region to empower local communities, improve their skills and bring about a sense of ownership by local community members leading to development in their localities. She firmly holds that tourism is an effective way of protecting the environment, when done correctly.
Rodriguez has a strong background in environmental protection and is an advocate of women empowerment. In 2019, she was hailed as one of the Outstanding Alumni of the University of the Philippines – Los Baños’ College of Forestry and Natural Resources./PN
