Fortunato de la Peña

Not to be confused with Fortunato Peña, a Filipino politician from Camarines Sur.
In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Tanseco and the surname or paternal family name is De la Peña.
Fortunato de la Peña
De la Peña in 2018
Secretary of Science and Technology
In office
June 30, 2016 – June 30, 2022
PresidentRodrigo Duterte
Preceded byMario Montejo
Succeeded byRenato Solidum Jr.
Undersecretary for Science and Technology Services of the
Department of Science and Technology
In office
2001–2014
PresidentGloria Macapagal Arroyo
Benigno Aquino III
Personal details
Born
Fortunato Tanseco de la Peña

(1949-11-12) November 12, 1949 (age 74)
Bulakan, Bulacan, Philippines
SpouseMariquit Tablan Banzon
Children5
Alma materUniversity of the Philippines Diliman
New York University
Erasmus University Rotterdam
ProfessionEngineer, professor, civil servant
Scientific career
Fields
Institutions

Fortunato "Boy" Tanseco de la Peña (born November 12, 1949)[1] is a Filipino engineer and professor who served as the Secretary of Science and Technology in the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte from 2016 to 2022. Before he assumed leadership of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), he was the Undersecretary for Scientific and Technological Services from 2001 to 2014. Except for his brief retirement from 2014 to 2016, he has been with the department since 1982.[2]

De la Peña has also served as the president of the Philippine Association for the Advancement of Science and Technology (PhilAAST)[3][4] and is also a former chairman of the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development.[5]

Early life and education

De la Peña was born in the municipality of Bulacan, Bulacan on November 12, 1949. He is the youngest of three children of Emilio Banzon de la Peña and Luz Fajardo Tanseco.[1] He attended the University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering in 1969.[6][2] He also earned his MS degree in industrial engineering and a Ph.D. in business administration from the same university in 1976.[4] He received a diploma in Industrial Quality Control from Bouwcentrum International Education at Erasmus University Rotterdam, in the Netherlands in 1975 and pursued further studies in Operations Research at the Polytechnic University in Brooklyn, New York City, U.S., now merged with New York University, in 1982.[4]

Career

De la Peña is a Career Executive Service Officer (CESO) Rank I, the highest level in the career service of the Civil Service Commission of the Philippines.[4] He has served in the Department of Science and Technology for more than 30 years. He has also served in various positions at his alma mater UP Diliman and also worked as Operations Engineer with ESSO Philippines.[5]

UP Diliman

De la Peña started his career at UP Diliman when he joined the faculty of the UP College of Engineering in 1978. He was a research assistant of the university and the first editor of the Philippine Engineering Journal. He also chaired its Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research until 1988 when he became a full-time Industrial Engineering professor.[7] In 1992, he was appointed as director of UP's Institute for Small Scale Industries and as vice president for planning and development of the entire University of the Philippines System by 1993. He served in those capacities until 2001 and 1999 respectively.[4] The University of the Philippines recognized de la Peña for his distinguished career with an Outstanding Achievement Award in 1999.[6]

De la Peña was a trustee of UP Engineering Research and Development Foundation and also served as president of the UP Alumni Engineers.[5]

Department of Science and Technology

De la Peña began work in the executive department at about the same time he was a part-time professor at UP Diliman. He was the head of its Planning Service from 1982 to 1984 and was appointed as the director of Technology Application and Promotion Institute from 1989 to 1991.[4] He is credited with playing a key role in the creation and implementation of several government programs such as the Technology Business Incubation (TBI) program and the Manufacturing Productivity Extension (MPEX) program which has been supporting small enterprises since 1991.[7][4]

In 2001, de la Peña assumed the post of Undersecretary for Scientific and Technological Services of the DOST under the secretaryship of Estrella F. Alabastro. He also became the longest serving president of the National Research Council of the Philippines from 2002 to 2007.[4] During his 13 years as Undersecretary, he implemented several key information technology and e-commerce programs prior to the creation of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology. They include the e-Government Program of the DOST and the Philippine e-Library Project for which he received the highest civil service award in the Philippines in 2005.[8]

De la Peña served in the Congressional Commission on Science, Technology and Engineering (COMSTE) as executive director in 2008. He also helped organize the National Innovation Network (Filipinnovation) and served as its co-chairman in 2008. In 2011, he was elected chairman of the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development (UNCSTD).[5][7][4]

De la Peña has also served as president of the Philippine Institute for Chemical Engineers and the Association of Management and Industrial Engineers of the Philippines. He also headed the Small Enterprises Research and Development Foundation, and NEC Foundation. He is also a former director of Entrepinoy Volunteers Foundation and Philippine Technology Development Ventures.[5] As head of the Learning from Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) Research to Enhance Policymaking in the Philippines project of the DOST and International Development Research Centre, he co-edited and published the book entitled Philippine Experiences in ICT4D.[8]

Personal life

De la Peña is married to Mariquit Tablan Banzon, with whom he has five children: Margarita, a medical doctor; Emil, a veterinary doctor; Fortunato Jr., an assistant professor of industrial design; Miguel, an artist and entrepreneur; and Federico, an engineering geologist.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c "29th National Rice R&D Conference" (PDF). Philippine Rice Research Institute. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
  2. ^ a b "DoST Secretary de la Peña, top professor and civil servant". The Manila Times. August 11, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  3. ^ Santos, J.B.F. (June 10, 2016). "Incoming DOST chief envisions science for the countryside, may drop Diwata if too costly". Interaksyon. Archived from the original on July 15, 2016. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Former NRCP president is the new DOST secretary". Philippine Information Agency. June 5, 2016. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Biographies" (PDF). United Nations Economic and Social Council. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
  6. ^ a b "The 100 Outstanding Alumni Engineers". UP Alumni Engineers. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
  7. ^ a b c "With new chief, DOST prepares return to conservative R&D roots". Newsbytes Philippines. June 8, 2016. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
  8. ^ a b Akhtar, S.; Arinto, P.B. (2009). Digital Review of Asia Pacific 2009-2010. IDRC. p. 369. Retrieved July 4, 2016. fortunato de la peña digital review for asia pacific.
Political offices
Preceded by Secretary of Science and Technology
2016–2022 		Succeeded by