Sitting in her car while inching through traffic, Berna Romulo Puyat is staring at her phone, her brow

furrowed in concentration. As the driver makes a turn, her phone vibrates, and her eyes light up in delight.
With a gesture born of habit and proficiency, she flicks her screen to throw a ball at a Pokemon creature
she spotted and sighs in satisfaction.

In many ways, the quirky past time is an inkling into the heart and mind of the enigmatic woman who
learned the game as an attempt to find commonality with her children. It is a tiny treat that the
Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary allows herself to savor, a brief respite to catch her bearings while
caught in traffic. It speaks of her ability to remain steadfastly and unapologetically herself, owning her
choices and preferences amidst the constant maelstrom of activity swirling around her.

Bedecked in the some of the most stylish Filipinana ensembles, and coupled with her pretty, petite frame,
it would be easy to misjudge Berna for a mere fashion icon. Ironically, while she is praised for her chic
ensembles that is a delightful mix of Filipino indigenous textile in modern silhouettes, Berna is notorious
for being a spendthrift, often repurposing and reworking old pieces to upcycle them instead of purchasing
new ones. “I think men underestimate her,” laughs her close friend, Carina Guevara Galang, “They think
she’s this tiny little girl. They don’t realize that she’s a steel magnolia.”

This is a woman who is credited with bringing a refreshingly direct and principled management style to a
government agency swamped with allegations of anomalies. Berna’s first order of business as the new
cabinet secretary: root out the sources of corruption and eliminate them. She asked for the courtesy
resignations of almost all of the undersecretaries and assistant secretaries. She ordered an inquiry into
the pending projects of the DOT, systematically cancelling any that have been deemed spurious. Within
her first months, she managed to bolster the bureau with a new sense of direction and purpose. “Our
office’s mantra ‘Para sa Bayan’ inspires us to do our respective tasks well, as exemplified by Sec Berna’s
dedication to her duties,” shares (insert name of staff). Those privy to her daily schedule describes it as
long and grueling: juggling meetings with various tourism stakeholders for policy formation and
consultations, attending to various courtesy calls, gracing tourism-related events, and reviewing pertinent
documents.

It is this very paradox that adds to Berna’s overall charisma: her innate elegance belies an unassailable
spirit determined to accomplish what she sets out to do. Coupled with a personality that radiates with
earnestness and warmth, the combination is both inspiring and captivating. Once, when she attended a
provincial event, a marching band heralded her arrival as an entire town surged to meet and greet her. To
them, she was not so much the DOT Secretary, but more like a movie celebrity. Carina explains why Berna
elicits such strong emotions: “They can feel her sincerity in wanting to promote what’s best about their
place,” she relates, “She gives them pride with what they do.”

This unique ability to rally people around her cause is a strength that Berna wielded unabashedly as her
agency faced one of their biggest hurdles to date: the rehabilitation of Boracay, a mandate that required
a close inter-agency collaboration among her office, the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR), and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). Given the scope of
the problems besetting the island and the sheer political will it would entail to enforce the measures
required to effect lasting and meaningful change, many portended the failure of the endeavor.

Yet, after a much-criticized 6-month closure, the crown jewel of Philippine tourism reopened to the public
with wide and clear stretches of white sand beach, sparkling waters devoid of algae and debris, and an
unobstructed view of the horizon. It was, as countless visitors have since gushed, the Boracay of 30 years
ago. Despite the fact that the rehabilitation efforts are far from over, the constant stream of praises for
the visible results of Boracay’s rebirth snowballed into a chain of events that ushered in more triumphs.
The tourism industry in the island picked up briskly, recording an average daily arrival of 5,639 tourists
since October 2018. the feat has also put the Philippines squarely in the map as a champion for sustainable
tourism, garnering international accolades such as the Excellent Partner Award from the Japan Tourism
Awards, and a stamp of approval from Conde Nast Traveler, ranking Boracay first among the “Best Islands
in Asia” for 2019.

This resounding success seemed to be a clarion call to action, as the entire nation woke up to the
realization that effective change was indeed possible, that each plays an integral role in sustaining an
industry that could and would feed the nation. Across the country, the efforts of the Boracay rehabilitation
are being used as a template for the rehabilitation of major tourist destinations.

This is a remarkable but predictable achievement. Given Berna’s penchant for hard work and attention to
details, her accomplishments are uniquely her own, even if she had the advantage of being reared within
the world of Philippines politics by some of its most notable statesmen: her great granduncle, the late
Carlos P. Romulo and her father, Alberto Romulo. From the latter, she learned to value legacy over money
and power, as seen in how she singlehandedly reared her two children after her husband’s untimely
demise. From both, she saw how political integrity shapes the fate of a nation, as seen in her unsullied
record of public service.

After pursuing an undergraduate and master’s degree in Economics from the University of the Philippines,
despite her initial reticence for being in the public sphere, she capitulated to destiny and joined the
Philippine political scene, serving in different government capacities: as a consultant for the Housing and
Urban Development Coordinating Council in 2001, as consultant for the Presidential Management Staff in
2005, as deputy Cabinet secretary with the Office of the President in 2006, as Undersecretary of
Agriculture in 2007.

It seems that the sum of Berna’s experiences fostered a smooth transition into her current role as Tourism
Secretary. “When she was in Department of Agriculture, she had very personal relationships with the
farmers and their families. She really knew their pains and struggles,” shares Carina. This entailed frequent
travels that took her deep into the heart of the Philippines, where Berna immersed herself in the lives of
her constituents, walking in their proverbial shoes to give her a better perspective about their plights.

These experiences during her 12-year term in the agency helped shaped her agenda for a more holistic
growth of the Philippine tourism sector. While Berna has always considered the Philippines as an easy sell,
the archipelagic nature of the country makes her task daunting. The fractured nature of the nation both
presented a unique challenge and a palpable solution. A staunch advocate of sustainability, she realized
that rehabilitating and maintaining all the tourist destinations found within the country is only possible
with the committed symbiosis of different sectors, a clarion call her agency has since sounded out with
the various campaigns and initiatives they implemented. “She carries so much weight on her shoulders,
navigating twisted, hazardous waters,” relates colleague and friend Chef JJ Yulo, “Despite getting banged
up sometimes, she still emerges, getting what needs to be done DONE, and with her head up high.”
To drum up awareness about the Philippines as a destination, the DOT put a zero-carbon footprint spin to
the tourism campaign “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” by crowdsourcing 100% of the campaign
materials.

To further the conversation about sustainable tourism, they launched the “Save Our Spots (SOS)”
campaign, a reminder that stewardship for the natural assets of the country is a shared responsibility
among local communities, businesses, and tourists. To encourage and empower sustainable tourism
innovations, they introduced The Anahaw, a national certification scheme that issues certification to
tourist accommodations that have implemented measures that reduce the carbon emission impacts of
tourism activities. To shining a spotlight on the country’s rich culinary heritage as part of the Philippine
travel experience, they initiated the “Eats. More Fun in the Philippines” campaign, feature various regional
delicacies and edible products in food fairs like the “Philippine Harvest Trade Fair” and the “Kain Na Food
Fair,” and conduct gastronomical familiarization trips such as the Chefs’ tour for foreign media, tour
operators, and Filipino chefs based overseas. Currently in the pipeline are collaborations with other
national government agencies to continuously improve tourism services and infrastructure for a more
seamless Philippine travel experience.

It is a well-rounded strategy, one that promotes socio-economic development by highlighting small to

medium tourism businesses, local cuisine, and indigenous culture alongside the country’s breathtaking
destinations. It is, without a doubt, an inclusive undertaking, entailing a close collaboration among many
stakeholders, both in the private and government sectors, but it is one that can potentially act as a catalyst
for nation building. “She is always after the welfare of the country,” adds Chef JJ, “She LOVES this country:
you can feel it from her, that intensity! Her decisions show it.”

The feeling, it would seem, is mutual.