DOST chief is this year's recipient of APO Meritorious and Distinguished Award
Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato “Boy” T. de la Peña has been named as this year’s awardee of the Asian Productivity Organization’s (APO) Meritorious and Distinguished Award.

The DOST said the award is given to de la Peña “for his outstanding contributions to the cause of productivity promotion in support of socioeconomic endeavors.”
The conferment ceremony is set on Jan. 4, 2022.
“I am honored to be the recipient of this prestigious award from the APO. I owe it to my co-workers at DOST and its agencies who have been very supportive of my vision of using Science, Technology and Innovation to attain inclusive and sustainable development and to raise the productivity of all sectors in the country,” de la Peña told the Manila Bulletin in a Viber message on Wednesday, Dec. 15.
“I also have a feeling of fulfillment that the work that I and my organization/agency have been carrying out are being able to support many of the agenda items set forth in the current Philippine Development Plan,” he added.
As an APO awardee, de la Peña served as a resource person in APO’s Top Talk, a series of live presentations by productivity experts, government ministers, heads of international organizations, academics, and other recognized experts.
The DOST chief’s presentation zeroed in on science and technology for inclusive and sustainable development.
The TopTalk focused on the following: economic and social development, empowerment towards social inclusion, and environmental protection for sustainability and safety.
“Science and technology has a big role in addressing the dimensions of sustainability, particularly in relation to economic and social development, in empowerment towards social inclusion, and in the protection of the environment for sustainability and safety,” de la Peña said.