Bernadette Romulo-Puyat

Bernadette Fatima Tecson Romulo-Puyat (born May 14, 1971) is a Filipino government official, economist, and academic who served as the Secretary of Tourism under the Duterte administration from May 2018 to June 2022, heading the Philippines' tourism industry through the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. She has since been appointed Deputy Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in charge of financial inclusion, regional operations, and the BSP's Program Management Office. Her previous positions include terms as a consultant for the Presidential Management Staff, Undersecretary for the Department of Agriculture, and lecturer at the UP School of Economics.

Early life and education Bernadette Romulo-Puyat is the fourth amongst the five children of Filipino politician and diplomat, Alberto Romulo and Lovely Tecson. She attended the University of the Philippines Diliman and pursued an undergraduate and a master's degree in economics. She once aspired to become like her mother but later on, considering her exposure and familiarity to politics at early age, she ended up joining the Philippine political scene.

Career Early career Romulo-Puyat was an instructor at the UP School of Economics. After a career in academia, she joined politics in 2004 by attempting to become the First District Representative of Quezon City. However, she lost the elections to Vincent Crisologo by 2,000 votes with Puyat readily conceding Crisologo's victory and deciding to thereafter spend more time with her family instead. Her brief political experience made her more aware of the conditions of the people affected by poverty, as a result, she put up "Botika ng Bayan" (People's Pharmacy) across some areas in Metro Manila to provide affordable medicines or generic drugs. She ensured that foreign grants were directed accordingly to projects intended for farmers. She also focused on working with the agricultural concerns of women from the rural community that include financing technical support in provision of seedlings, planting materials, fermentation boxes and processing equipment for the Manobo women farmers, promotion and marketing of agricultural products for the coffee farmers across Kalinga, Bukidnon and Mt. Kanlaon; and pili, cacao and cassava farmers across Camarines Sur. She also took part in the establishment of an organic village for indigenous women farmers in Davao. Romulo-Puyat dropped the Philippines' hosting bid due to budgetary concerns.

In her first month as Secretary of Tourism, Romulo-Puyat alleged that corruption was rampant in the DOT, claiming the existence of schemes involving "hundred of millions" of funds within the government agency. She ordered the suspension of all projects of the DOT pending review from the Commission on Audit. She also directed all undersecretaries and assistant secretaries, including Cesar Montano and Kat de Castro, to submit their courtesy resignations except for undersecretary Bong Bengzon.

Personal life Romulo-Puyat was married to David Puyat, a lawyer, until his death in 2010.

Although rumors persisted that she had dated Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte during her tenure as agriculture undersecretary, Duterte denied the allegation in 2018, stating that she was simply his good friend from working with each other in government.