Bacolod's tourism exec elected ATOP secretary general
Bacolod City's Senior Tourism Operations Officer, Ma. Elma "Butch" Gerasmo, was recently elected as Secretary General of the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP), in a recently concluded ATOP election held October 3, at the Iloilo Grand Hotel in Iloilo City. The tourism officer from the "City of Smiles"-Bacolod won unopposed.
The new officers were inducted into office October 4 at the Sarabia Manor of the same city attended by around 500 city tourism officials from all over the country.
Bacolod City's Gerasmo is also a Senior Tourism Operations Officer at the Bacolod Tourism Office and the Out-going National Vice President of ATOP for Visayas. She also served ATOP as Regional Representative for Region VI. She attended the ATOP's 9th National Convention sponsored by the Iloilo and Province of Guimaras and was host at the 10-th National Convention of the association held in Genral Santos City.
This year's ATOP convention went with the theme: "Tourism Today: Coping with Climate Change".
Other new ATOP officers were: Surigao City's Roselyn Merlin as President, Josefina Duterte of Baybay Leyte as Secretary for Visayas, Lanao del Norte's Minda Regis as secretary for Mindanao, Malou Elduayan of the Province of Pangasinan as PRO for Luzon, Canalon City's Dr. Marissa Cornelia as PRO for the Visayas and Compostela Valley's Christine Dompor as PRO for Mindanao.
Mandaluyong City's Nor Arcangel (appointed as Executive Vice President), Pasay's Chichi Fuentes as Vice President for Luzon, Escalante City's Kenneth Benignos as Vice President for Negros Occidental, General Santos' Cora Tito as Vice President for Mindanao, Isabella Cagayan Valley's Susan Afiado as Treasurer and Paranaque's Josephine Orozca as Auditor and Alaminos City's Mike Sison is Secretary for the Visayas.
Outgoing ATOP president is Jennylind Cordero, Provincial Tourism Officer of Negros Occidental.