MANILA, Aug. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Philippine President Gloria Macagapal-Arroyo has appointed new cabinet members and other office officials, the presidential palace said Wednesday.

    Vice President Noli de Castro was appointed as the new chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council to replace Michael Defensor who has been designated as Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the palace said in a statement.

    The appointments were among the partial list released Wednesday by the palace through Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye.

    Bunye himself was named the Press Secretary under the new setupin the Communications group of the Palace where RPN 9 television chairman Cerge Remonde, was designated as Government Media Group head.

    Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo will now be the new foreign affairs secretary while Defense secretary Eduardo Ermita will takeover his post as Executive Secretary, the statement said.

    Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Avelino Cruz will take over the defense portfolio, while Cebu Congressman Joseph Ace Durano has been appointed tourism secretary to replace Roberto Pagdanganan who has been assigned as chairman and president of the Philippine International Trading Corp, it said.

    Also appointed were Florencio Abad as Education Secretary; RaulGonzales as Justice Secretary; Rene Villa as Agrarian Reform Secretary; Imelda Nicolas, Secretary General of the National Anti-Poverty Commission; Hermogenes Ebdane, National Security Adviser; Roberto del Rosario, Adviser for New Government Centers.

    Aslo appointed were Edgardo Aglipay, chief of the Philippine National Police, and some other officials for other government offices, financial agencies and Philippine National Oil Co. Enditem