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Thursday, January 27, 2005
Arroyo names new finance, energy chiefs
MANILA -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's administration announced Wednesday the appointments of three economic managers and the head of a revenue-generating agency.
Named to President Arroyo's Cabinet were: outgoing Trade Secretary Cesar Purisima as finance secretary; former Nestle Philippines Inc. president Juan Santos as trade secretary; Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (Psalm) president Raphael Perpetuo Lotilla as energy secretary; and Airfreight 2100 chairman Alberto Lina as Bureau of Customs (BOC) commissioner.
Purisima will take over from Juanita Amatong, who will step down on February 15. Santos will replace Purisima.
Lotilla will replace Vicente Perez Jr., whose resignation takes effect at the end of March. Lina will take over from George Jereos, who retires on February 22.
Commissioner Guillermo Parayno was prevailed upon by the President to continue as head of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
"The ongoing revamp projects a renewed sense of continuity and direction towards the realization of the President's 10-point agenda as a new team is brought in to pull the economic carriage forward," said Press secretary and presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye.
Purisima was chairman and managing partner of SGV&Co. prior to being appointed trade secretary. He was also member of the global executive board of Ernst & Young.
He obtained his Commerce degree in De la Salle University (DLSU) in 1979 and was among the top placers in the accountancy board examinations. He got his masters in business administration from the Kellogg School of Management at the Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois.
Santos, 66, prior to his appointment, was a member of the Governance Advisory Council and private sector representative for the Public-Private Sector Task Force for the Development of Globally Competitive Philippine Service Industries.
He also served as director of Malayan Insurance Company Inc., Equitable Savings Bank Inc., PCI Leasing and Finance Inc., and Inter-Milling Holdings Ltd., among others. He was president of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) in 2000.
He obtained his business administration degree in Ateneo de Manila University in 1960 and pursued post-graduate studies at The Thunderbird Graduate School of Management in Arizona. He completed Advanced Management Course at IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1972.
Lotilla, prior to his appointment as president and chief operating officer of Psalm, was deputy director general of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda). Before that, he was a University of the Philippines (UP) law professor and UP vice president for public affairs in 1991.
He was legal consultant to the Senate and the Senate committee on foreign relations. He provided technical assistance to the Senate energy committee and served as coordinator for the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac).
He holds undergraduate degrees in psychology and history, a bachelor of laws degree from the UP, and a master of laws degree from the University of Michigan Law School.
Lina, 56, brother of former interior chief Jose Lina Jr., chairs Airfreight 2100 Inc., a licensee of Federal Express in the Philippines. He ran and lost in the gubernatorial race in Laguna in 2001.
He also chairs U-Freight Philippines Inc., Linaheim Corporate Services Inc., Cargohaus Inc., 2100 Customs Broker Inc., U-Ocean Inc., Corporate Air, Integrated Waste Management Inc., E-Konek Pilipinas, Mall and More Inc., and Lina Farms and Food Corp.
He obtained his college degree from the Philippine School of Business Administration (PSBA).
Secretary Perez, who will be replaced by Lotilla, denied reports he was forced to resign from his post due to political pressure.
He said President Arroyo knew of his desire to leave the Cabinet for over a year now, and cited pressure from his family as his reason for quitting.
Perez said his father's becoming ill with Parkinson's disease was the major reason for his resignation.
In an interview at the Senate, Perez said he will miss his P1,000 rice allowance, which is among the perks of Cabinet officials.
He said he does not regret serving the government for almost five years, despite the low salary and few benefits.
Claiming that he earned US$1 million a year when he was still in the private sector, Perez said what is more important to him is not the salary "but the wonderful learning experience from public service".
Perez also said he is proud of having survived "hot moments" in the energy department.
"Well I survived. Power rates, Meralco refund, remember the blackouts in Luzon, All of those are hot moments. I just shrugged it off. It was a wonderful learning experience. I learned how government works and how the government doesn't work. So, it is for the better experience," Perez said.
The official also said he would urge those in the private sector to help instead of always complaining against government. (JMR/JPM)
(January 27, 2005 issue)
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