Aniceto “Chito” Mangahas Sobrepeña, the former cabinet secretary who led the philanthropic arm of Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank) for nearly three decades, has died. He was 72.

His death was announced Monday, Jan. 12, in a social media post by his son, Gabriel Sobrepeña. No cause was given.

Sobrepeña’s career bridged the gap between the upper echelons of the government’s technocracy and the boardroom of one of the country’s largest corporate foundations.

Over five decades, Sobrepeña transitioned from a young government strategist during the post-Marcos Sr. democratic transition to a key lieutenant for the late tycoon George Ty, overseeing billions of pesos in social development spending.

He first gained national prominence in the late 1980s under President Corazon Aquino. At 36, he was named Cabinet Secretary and head of the Presidential Management Staff, the youngest person to hold the rank at the time.

He later joined the administration of President Fidel Ramos as deputy director-general of the National Economic and Development Authority. In that capacity, he helped navigate the policy shifts and regional development frameworks that defined the Philippines’ economic liberalization in the 1990s.

In 1995, Sobrepeña moved to the private sector to lead the Metrobank Foundation. Under his leadership, the organization shifted from traditional charity to a more structured, results-oriented model of corporate social responsibility.

He oversaw the scaling of the foundation’s annual budget into the hundreds of millions of pesos, focusing on institutionalizing awards for public service.

His "Outstanding Filipinos" program became a national benchmark for recognizing excellence in the teaching, military, and police sectors.

His approach to grant-making drew international interest. In 2012, Unesco invited Sobrepeña to its Paris headquarters to present the foundation’s teacher-recognition models as a global best practice.

Colleagues described him as a disciplined administrator who viewed social investment through a technocratic lens, often emphasizing that capital alone could not solve development issues without a corresponding sense of personal and civic responsibility.

Sobrepeña retired from his executive roles at the Metrobank Foundation and the Ty family’s GT Foundation on July 15, 2025. In his final years, he remained a director for various educational and religious bodies and led the private-sector fundraising for the restoration of the Manila Cathedral, a project that required several hundred million pesos.

He is survived by his wife, Anna Isabel Crisostomo, and their three children.