TPB welcomes new COO

(L-R) DOTr Usec. Atty. Reinier Paul R. Yebra, Diamond Hotel Philippines general manager Ms. Vanessa L. Suatengco, DFA acting USEC. Lourdes O. Yparraguirre, TPB COO Atty. Maria Anthonette C. Velasco-Allones, DOT USEC. Benito C. Bengzon, Jr., DTI ASEC. Rosario Virginia C. Gaetos, TIEZA asst. COO Jetro Lozada, Mapawa Nature Park president Eduardo Pelaez, and DOT ASEC Howard Lance A. Uyking 

The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines, the marketing and promotions arm of the Department of Tourism (DOT), warmly welcomes its new Chief Operating Officer (COO), Atty. Maria Anthonette C. Velasco-Allones.

A Career Executive Service Officer since 2010, Atty. Velasco-Allones brings her extensive civil service management expertise to TPB. Prior to her appointment, she served as Executive Director of the Career Executive Service Board (CESB) since 2007. Under her leadership, CESB received international recognition from the UN-Asia Pacific Center for ICT in 2009 and 2010 for “bridging the information and communications technology (ICT) capacity gap of government executives in the Philippines to achieve socio-economic and development goals”. She successfully spearheaded CESB’s administrative reforms and program innovations in support of leadership capacity enhancement among the country’s top career senior officials.

She also served as Assistant Secretary for Personnel of the Department of National Defense from 1999-2001 and as Assistant Secretary at the Department of Labor and Employment from 2001-2006.

An Outstanding Alumni of the National Defense College of the Philippines, Atty. Velasco-Allones received the Outstanding Vincentian Alumni Award for Leadership Excellence and Service from the Unibersidad de Santa Isabel in Naga City last 2018.


Atty. Velasco-Allones completed her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Bachelor of Laws from the University of the Philippines. She obtained her Master in Public Management from the joint program of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy-National University of Singapore and the Kennedy School of Government-Harvard University.

She presently serves as a core faculty member of the Ateneo School of Government and is a resident faculty of CESB’s Leadership and Management Proficiency Program.



Her extensive and remarkable achievements in public sector, organizational development and strategic human resource management earned her the prestigious Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) award in the field of Human Resource Development in government service in the Philippines in 2009.

Atty. Velasco-Allones will lead TPB’s continuing campaign to manage all domestic and international marketing and promotional efforts for Philippine tourism and Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events (MICE) industries. Aside from promoting and supporting sustainable tourism, TPB will also participate in numerous travel expositions, strengthen its social media presence, and continue ongoing projects to help increase the number of local and inbound tourists.

Under her leadership, TPB is looking forward to a purposeful year of promoting the country to become the most preferred tourist destination In the Asia Pacific by 2022.

Atty. Velasco-Allones will assume office as TPB COO on February 10, 2020.