Alfredo E. Pascual is the Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). At the time of his appointment to DTI in June 2022, he was the President of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP).
Over the past four decades, Mr. Pascual has contributed to society as a governance advocate, academic leader, international development banker, and management educator. He served at four esteemed national and international institutions, viz.: Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) as President and CEO in 2018 and 2019; University of the Philippines (UP) System as President and Co-Chair from 2011 to 2017 and as Alumni Regent in 2009 and 2010; Asian Development Bank (ADB) for 19 years (1989-2008) in several positions including as Director for Private Sector Operations, Director for Project Finance, and Advisor for Public-Private Partnership; and Asian Institute of Management (AIM) as a finance professor in the 1980s.
He was an independent director on the board of publicly listed companies (e.g., SM Investments, Megawide Construction, and Concepcion Industrial). His past board memberships included non-profits and other organizations, such as the Philippine Institute of Development Studies (PIDS), International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), ICD, Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA), FINEX Academy, UP Foundation, UP CIFAL Philippines, Philippine Council for Foreign Relations (PCFR), and US-Philippines Society (USPHS).
As President of the University of the Philippines—a system of eight constituent universities with 17 campuses across the country, Mr. Pascual implemented initiatives and programs to transform UP into a research-intensive university, internationalize it, raise its profile as a global university, and strengthen it as a leading public service university. He also modernized UP’s campuses and initiated their digital transformation.
At ADB, he undertook infrastructure and financial sector projects in Asian countries, e.g., China, India, Viet Nam, Pakistan, Philippines, Indonesia, and Afghanistan. His projects facilitated venture capital investment, MSME financing, trade finance, and PPP infrastructure development. He had postings at the ADB’s resident offices in India and Indonesia. He represented ADB on the corporate boards of ADB investee companies (e.g., banks, funds, financial institutions, and manufacturing firms) in China, India, and the Philippines.
Mr. Pascual finished his MBA and BS in Chemistry (cum laude) at UP. He attended the EC-ASEAN Program on Strategic and Organizational Change at the Euro-Asia Centre, Campus INSEAD, France. His awards included Honorary Doctorates from UP and four other universities, Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award from Malacanang, Rotary Golden Wheel Award for Higher Education, and Lifetime Distinguished Achievement Award from the UP Alumni Association.
The authority and responsibility for the exercise of the DTI mandate is vested in the Secretary who, like his predecessors, is a Presidential appointee who serves office at the pleasure of the President.
The Secretary, as the DTI Department head, has the authority and responsibility for the discharge of DTI powers and functions.
Specifically, his functions are:
- To advise the President of the Philippines on matters related to trade and investments, and industry, and on the promulgation of Department orders, rules and regulations, and other issuances related to trade, industry, and investments
- To establish policies and standards for the effective, efficient, and economical operations of the Department in accordance with government programs
- To supervise and control all offices, functions, and activities of the Department
- To delegate authority for the performance of any administrative or substantive function to any Undersecretary or other officials of rank at the Department
- To ensure the clear delineation of the functions of personnel and constituent units of the Department, including its attached agencies to prevent task duplication or overlapping
source: www.dti.gov.ph