TRANSPORTATION Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said on Sunday that he is confident that his successor, former Philippine Airlines (PAL) President and Chief Operating Officer Jaime J. Bautista, will run the department efficiently when he takes over after the current government’s term expires.
“I personally know my successor, Jimmy Bautista. We have long years of association and friendship. His professionalism, experience, dedication, and hard work will certainly augur well in his being the Secretary of Transportation,” he said in a statement.
“To the best of my abilities and capabilities, I shall assist in however way asked and needed,” he added.
He said that the department’s transition team is currently working to ensure a “smooth, full, and transparent transition.”
“President-elect Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has decided. We must fully trust and support his decision.”
Mr. Bautista spent more than 25 years working at PAL, serving as the airline’s president twice, between 2004 and 2012 and again between 2014 and 2019. While working for the national carrier, he held a variety of positions, including vice-president for finance and chief financial officer.
Separately, lawyer and former journalist Cheloy E. Garafil was chosen by Mr. Marcos to be the next chairman of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
He currently serves as service director at the House of Representatives Committee on Rules, and was formerly a prosecutor for the Department of Justice and State Solicitor for the Office of the Solicitor General.
Mr. Marcos also tapped businessman Christopher S. Pastrana to serve as general manager of the Philippine Ports Authority.
“(Mr.) Pastrana, a successful businessman in the transportation field, brings with him decades of experience in various aspects of aviation, logistics, and public maritime transport,” Mr. Marcos said in a statement.
Mr. Pastrana currently serves as president and chief executive officer of the supply and logistics conglomerate CAPP Industries, Inc.
He also chairs the Archipelago Philippines Ferries Corp., which operates ferries under the brand name FastCat. — Arjay L. Balinbin