President Marcos appoints new envoys, officials

MANILA – Malacañang on Saturday released the list of newly appointed ambassadors and officials in different government agencies.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. reappointed Amable Aguiluz V as Special Envoy of the President to Japan for Trade and Investments, based on the roster of the latest batch of presidential appointees posted by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).

Aguiluz, founder and chairperson of the AMA Group of Companies, first assumed the diplomatic post in April 2023.

Marcos also designated Daniel Espiritu as Philippine Ambassador to Ireland and Markus Lacanilao as Special Envoy on Transnational Crimes.

He named Agnes Tolentino as the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) assistant secretary; Marie France Tiatco as the Department of Transportation (DOT) assistant secretary; and Richelieu Raymund Remandaban as assistant director general of the National Security Council.

Marcos also tapped Winston Castelo as chairperson and board member and Maria Blanca Kim Lokin as president, chief executive officer and board member of the Philippine Pharma Procurement, Inc; and Robert Bastillo as president, CEO and board member of the Small Business Corporation.

Ricarte Padilla was appointed chairperson of the Regional Development Council in the Bicol Region, while Anthony Alcantara was designated as executive director of the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime.

Marcos appointed Victoria Recio as board member the People's Television Network Inc., representing the government sector; Michaela Sophia Rubio as member of the National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council, representing the employers' sector; Maria Gabriela Conception as member of the National Authority for Child Care; and Arnold Atienza as acting board member of the Food Terminal, Inc.

In the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), John de Leon would serve as executive director, while Ariel Dolores would join as a board member, representing the farming sector.

Marcos also named Fernando Prieto as a board member of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) and actress Gladys Reyes-Sommereux as a member of the Appeals Committee, representing the television industry.

He also appointed Rosemarie Rafael and Evelyn Uy as new members of the Philippine Commission on Women. Rafael would represent the labor sector while Uy would serve as representative of the farmers and fisherfolk sector.

Mario Espinosa, Eligio Ildefonso, and Fernando Siringan were tapped as acting board members of the Philippine Reclamation Authority.

Luis Carlos was named postmaster general and CEO of the Philippine Postal Corporation. He would also serve as a board member, along with Noel Dacasin.

According to the new list of presidential appointees, Michelle Bonifacio and Jose Ruben Tolentino were appointed as members of Sangguniang Panlungsod in the cities of Angeles and San Juan, respectively.

Marcos likewise appointed Laura Irynn Padua as acting Register of Deeds IV at the Land Registration Authority and Aldrin Abila as police colonel.

Holding the Director IV post are Marion Ivy Decena (Technology Application and Promotion Institute); Riduan Hadjimuddin (Department of Social Welfare and Development); Philorita Ridao (NEDA); Cherry Pie Felisse Maraya (Presidential Management Staff); Thelma Vecina (Local Government Academy); Grace Baluyan (Trade department); and John Aries Macaspac and Rudylia Parrel (Budget department);

Other officials holding the Director IV position were Amelita Pangilinan, Ferdinand Salcedo and Paula Paz Sydiongco (Department of Health or DOH); Juan Jovian Ingeniero, Araceli San Jose and Dennis Villaseñor (Department of the Interior and Local Government or DILG); Lormelyn Claudio (Department of Environment and Natural Resources); Emelyne Talabis (Land Management Bureau); and Salustiano Jimenez (Education department).

Completing the list of newly-appointed officials were Soray'yah Ibrahim (Public Works department, Director III); Orlando Ongsotto (Director II, National Meat Inspection Service); Ellenietta Herundina Maria Victoria Gamolo (DOH, Director III); Jhoaden Lucero (DILG, Director III); Oliver Leonardo (Securities and Exchange Commission, Director III); Aline Magalong (Commission on Higher Education, Director III); Ferdinand Felicen (Director I, Information and Communications Technology); and Angelina Carreon and Khadaffy Tanggol (Career Executive Service Board). (PNA)