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How did Duterte offer the tourism chief post to Romulo-Puyat?

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/life/05/09/duterte.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>President Rodrigo Duterte and new Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat. <em>Composite</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA - She went to Malacañang thinking about agriculture work and came out as the country&#x27;s new tourism chief.</p><p>Bernadette Romulo-Puyat on Wednesday recalled how President Rodrigo Duterte offered her the leadership of the Department of Tourism.</p><p>According to the former Agriculture undersecretary, a meeting was held in Malacañang regarding the Department of Agriculture (DA) when she was informed of her new post.</p><p>&quot;We had a meeting in Malacañang regarding the DA and then we were talking about work and I was checking some documents and then after our meeting, he mentioned to me that if I knew na nag-resign na si Wanda Teo (that Wanda Teo has resigned). Sabi ko nga nabasa ko (I said I read about it), then he offered the position,” she said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/08/18/romulo-puyat-is-new-tourism-chief">Romulo-Puyat is new Tourism chief</a></li></ul><figure class="op-interactive"><div id="IVS_ABS_Body_Video_1_Container"> <ivs-player id="IVS_ABS_Body_Video_1" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-vid="1434342" data-ivs-floating="1"></ivs-player> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/iframe-parent.js"></script> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script> </div></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="~//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="~//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>Romulo-Puyat replaced former Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo, who quit her post following controversy over the P60-million placement of tourism ads on her brothers&#x27; television show.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/08/18/wanda-teo-resigns-as-tourism-chief">Wanda Teo resigns as Tourism chief</a></li></ul><p>The official said she was in shock about the President&#x27;s offer and did not want to believe at first.</p><p>&quot;I was in shock when he offered it to me so casually. Ayaw kong maniwala,&quot; she said.</p><p>(I did not want to believe.)</p><p>The President, she said, praised her clean record and told her that she was fit for the job. </p><p>Duterte then informed his aide Bong Go and former Sen. Serge Osmeña of her new post, she said.</p><p>&quot;You can imagine kasi hindi ako pinatawag for this (I was not called for this). Pinatawag ako for work (I was called for work), that&#x27;s why the word I can say [is] overwhelmed. I&#x27;m shocked,&quot; she said.</p><p>Earlier, Romulo-Puyat said Duterte only asked one thing from her: to avoid corruption.</p><p>&quot;Huwag ka lang mangurakot, sabi niya sa akin. Sabi ko, oo naman,&quot; she said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/09/18/huwag-kang-mangurakot-duterte-told-incoming-dot-chief">&#x27;Huwag kang mangurakot&#x27;: Duterte told incoming DOT chief</a></li></ul><p>The President previously expressed his fondness for the mestiza widow. A photo of them in 2015 posted by a website showed them holding hands.</p><p>In an interview with Asian Dragon magazine in 2015 when he was still weighing whether or not to run for president, then-Mayor Duterte said: “Election or no election, Berna remains to be my ideal first lady...She’s one person I’m proud of showing to the world.”</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/08/18/look-meet-new-philippine-tourism-chief-bernadette-romulo-puyat">LOOK: Meet new Philippine tourism chief Bernadette Romulo-Puyat</a></li></ul><div><strong>-- with a report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News</strong><br/> </div>

<p>She went to Malacañang thinking about agriculture work and came out as the country's new tourism chief.<br /> </p>

She went to Malacañang thinking about agriculture work and came out as the country's new tourism chief.