International development banker Alfredo “Fred” Pascual has been nominated by President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to take the reins as Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
“I’ve asked Fred Pascual to head the DTI and he has agreed,” Marcos said in a Thursday, May 26 interview.
Read more here: https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/26/marcos-names-his-dof-dti-secretaries-bares-pick-for-dpwh-post/
The 74-year-old Pascual is the Governor of the Management Association of the Philippines and a trustee of the non-profit Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) which advocates for good corporate governance.
Pascual was the president of the University of the Philippines (UP) from 2011 to 2017, and before that a Regent of UP.
In 1969, he graduated cum laude from UP with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, and in 1972 earned a Masters of Business Administration.
Economist, ally to incumbent Vice President Leni Robredo, and re-electionist lawmaker Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda has praised Marcos’ nomination of Pascual.
“All in all, the Diokno, Balisacan, and Medalla appointments are solid choices and I expect to work with the economic team more closely in the weeks ahead,” said Salceda in a message to the press on Thursday, May 26; the same day Marcos announced his appointees.
Pascual, as DTI Secretary, will inherit the department’s responsibilities which include employment generation, consumer empowerment, and pushing for development in the private sector.