'Pandemic changed everything': Berna Romulo-Puyat shuns possible Senate bid in 2022

MANILA - Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat on Wednesday said she would not run for senator in the upcoming 2022 national elections, saying she would rather finish her term as tourism chief.

Under the law, Cabinet secretaries and other appointed government officials need to resign from their posts before filing their certificate of candidacy.

"The pandemic changed everything for me. If you run, you have to resign by October. Parang bitin na bitin (That's too soon)," Romulo-Puyat told ANC's Headstart.

"Maybe before the pandemic I thought about it, but at the start of the pandemic I said I'd rather na lang finish all of our programs now with the Department of Tourism," she said.

• DOT urges tourism players to avail interest-free loans from govt

Romulo-Puyat has been working to slowly restart tourism in different parts of the Philippines after the COVID-19 pandemic crippled the sector due to forced closures and bankruptcies.

In 2019, the tourism sector had a 12.8 percent contribution to the Philippines' gross domestic product. That number dipped to 5.4 percent because of the pandemic, data from the DOT showed.

Some 1 million tourism workers also lost their jobs after several resorts, restaurants and other establishments were forced to stop operations due to COVID-19.

• PH lost P400 B in potential revenue from foreign tourists in 2020 due to COVID-19: DOT

Romulo-Puyat, who previously served at the Department of Agriculture, said she plans to work in the private sector when her term as DOT chief expires next year.

"You can still help naman even in the private sector," she said.