Concepcion, Garin, Macasaet get government posts

MANILA, Philippines —  President Marcos has appointed Go Negosyo founder Jose Ma. Concepcion III as a member of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Council, Malacañang announced yesterday.

Concepcion will represent Luzon in the council, according to a Facebook post by the Presidential Communications Office. The council, which is attached to the trade department, coordinates national efforts to promote the growth and viability of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

According to the Go Negosyo website, Concepcion is the president and chief executive officer of RFM Corp., chairman of RFM Unilever Ice Cream Corp. and director and executive committee member of Concepcion Industries Inc. He was presidential adviser for entrepreneurship during the time of former presidents Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Rodrigo Duterte. Under Marcos, Concepcion was designated the head of the Private Sector Advisory Council’s job committee.

In 2005, Concepcion founded Go Negosyo, a non-government organization that aims to address poverty by promoting an entrepreneurial mindset and launching programs that help grow MSMEs.

Marcos has also named Rolando Macasaet as president and chief executive officer of the Social Security System. Macasaet was named acting chief of the pension fund last January. He is a former president and general manager of the Government Service Insurance System. The newly appointed SSS chief was also chairman, president and CEO of other government-owned and controlled corporations, including the Philippine National Construction Corp., Skyway Corp., Dasmariñas Industrial Steel Corp. and Tierra Factors Corp.

The President has appointed former lawmaker Sharon Garin as energy undersecretary. Garin used to be the representative of the Asosasyon Sang Mangunguma Nga Bisaya-Owa Mangunguma party-list.

Other new appointees include Alessandro Sales (energy undersecretary); Kath Rina Maria Reyes (assistant government corporate counsel); Francisco Aguilar Jr., Julyn Fermin, Mel Candano, Marieta dela Cruz, Rosemarie Duquez, Celso Hernandez Jr., Geraldine Mendez, Antonio Nebrida Jr., Eloisa Romero, Augusto San Diego III, Evelyn Soriano, Catherine Sy, Charles Tabbu and Romil Tuando (migrant workers department directors IV); Bernadette Joaquin (social welfare department director IV); Ma. Zandra Rosal (National Security Council director III); Gil Puyat (APO Production Unit Inc. acting board member); Mohamad Dimaporo (Al-Amanah Islamic Investment Bank of the Philippines acting board member); Michael Tezon (human settlements and urban development department director IV); Danilo Balisi (public works department director IV); Maria Rosario Cuaresma (Council for the Welfare of Children deputy executive director IV); Melanie Ng (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Council member representing the Visayas); and Corazon Padiernos (member of the board of directors of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office).

Marcos also appointed officials at the National Economic and Development Authority, namely Jennifer Bretaña and Arecio Casing Jr. (directors IV); Edgardo Aranjuez II (director III) and Jam Colas (director III); at the transportation department, Florita de Guzman and Andrea Rivera (directors III); and Philippine Space Agency – Gay Jane Perez (deputy director general), Ariel Blanco, Noelle Castillo and Marc Talampas (directors IV).