Ceferino S. Rodolfo

Undersecretary for Industry Development and Investment Promotions Group, Vice Chairman and Managing Head of the Board of Investments, Department of Trade and Industry

Ceferino S. Rodolfo, Ph.D., is Undersecretary for the Industry Development Group (IDG) of the Department of Trade and Industry and Vice Chairman and Managing Head of the Board of Investments was awarded DTI’s Executive of the Year in 2014, after only a year of service in DTI. Since 2013, as IDG Assistant Secretary, Dr. Rodolfo has provided key support in authoring the country’s international trade strategy and developing the Philippine Trade Negotiation Agenda. In negotiating international trade agreements, he strengthened the One Country, One Voice (OCOV) program, DTI’s institutional consultation mechanism that involves a broad range of stakeholders. OCOV significantly contributed to ensuring the country’s readiness to pursue free trade agreements (FTAs) with key trading partners, to address outstanding economic and trade issues, to provide employment opportunities for Filipinos, particularly in rural areas, and to maximize the benefits of economic integration.

His work also included the country’s substantive participation in various international fora such as the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), and heightened awareness of key DTI programs and initiatives geared towards strengthening the competitiveness of local industries, particularly micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Currently, he is the Philippine Lead for High Level Task Force on ASEAN Economic Integration (HLTF-EI). He communicated both the opportunities and challenges of the country’s various trade engagements to guide businesses, academe, government agencies, and civil society.

From 2000 – 2010, Dr. Rodolfo served as the Senior Policy Adviser for the Industry Development and Trade Policy Group of DTI. He designed, developed, and facilitated stakeholder consultations, capacity-building programs, and undertook research on trade and industry. He also assisted in evaluating trade-related development programs of development partners, focusing on capacity building, public advocacy, organizational development, and broadening stakeholder participation. He provided technical advice on developing the country’s trade negotiating positions.