MARK T. LAPID

Has more than 20 years of public service having started at an early age of sixteen as Sangguniang Kabataan Chairperson and moving on to serve as Barangay Chairperson and Ex-Officio Member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, until elected as Governor of the Province of Pampanga. His strong leadership honed through years of experience inspires affection and respect as a man with true understanding and compassion for the core sentiments of his constituents. As a local chief executive, he was not only sensitive to the needs of his constituents but actively promoted integrity, transparency and accountability, commitment to growth and prosperity. The fact that the Province of Pampanga remained as one of the top ten provinces despite the disaster brought about by the Mt. Pinatubo eruption is a testament to his mettle as a mass and visionary leader.

He carried this brand of leadership when he joined the executive department in 2008 having been appointed as General Manager/Chief Operating Officer of then Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA), now Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA). Barely a year after his appointment as General Manager, the PTA was recognized by the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel as one of the best government corporations in the country (Gawad Pampublikong Korporasyon) being the first government corporation to successfully enter into a Public-Private Sector Partnership using the 2008 NEDA Guidelines. He inspired national and local governments, including the private sector, to transform, innovate, expand, collaborate, and achieve global excellence.

Throughout his career as a civil servant, he has worked to ensure that tourism as a public policy responds to changing times and challenges, that tourism planning is a pre-requisite to better destination management and infrastructure development, and that allocation of meager government resources is essential for local people to gain access to more jobs and livelihood.

He crafted and implemented tourism programs that provided local authorities the opportunity to increase their revenues, promote local attractions, diversify product offerings, and stimulate individual and community entrepreneurship. More importantly, he led efforts that immensely contributed to improving national and local tourism awareness, inducing foreign and local tourism investments, and forging partnerships and alliances with international organizations and development partners.

In building tourism enterprise zones (TEZs) across the country and promoting public and private tourism investments, he is guided by sustainable development principles to safeguard the environment, preserve cultural heritage, and give economic benefits to local residents. He has remained steadfast in helping tourist destinations manage current and future disasters and risks, including political crises and health pandemics, as well as guarantee their resiliency through institutional capacity building and networking.

Committed to expanding his knowledge, he completed a master’s degree in Development Management from the University of the Philippines and completed Special Studies in Leadership from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

SECRETARY MARIA BELEN “MABEL” SUNGA ACOSTA

As the Chairperson of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), Secretary Maria Belen S. Acosta takes the lead in facilitating and coordinating initiatives of key national agencies, Local Government Units (LGUs), non-government organizations, civil society organizations, and development partners that are vital to accelerating the socio-economic progress of Mindanao.

She also sits as the Philippine Signing Minister for the Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippine East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) economic cooperation.

Before she was appointed MinDA Secretary, she had a long and notable stint in formulating landmark local legislations as a City Councilor of the First District of Davao City from 2001-2010 and 2013-2022., being one of the youngest legislators in the city back in 2001, she initiated several youth and sports development programs. She also spearheaded barangay-based livelihood skills training programs for women’s groups.

She was the City Council’s Committee Chairperson on Education, hence becoming a Local School Board member. As the Council’s Chairperson of the Committee on Peace and Public Safety, she sat as a City Peace and Order Council (CPOC) member. She was also the City mayor’s representative as the Chairman of the Maritime Coordinating Council.

Secretary Acosta was also a recipient of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Kabalikat Award for her barangay-based livelihood skills program initiatives. She was also awarded as one of the Ten Outstanding Councilors of the Philippines (TOCP) in 2009.

Secretary Acosta remained dedicated to pursuing professional development during her three-year break from public service. She served as the Head of Delegation for the 39th Ship for South East Asian Youth Program (SSEAYP). She became an Alumna of the US State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program.

Secretary Acosta started her career as a broadcaster for ABS-CBN Davao after graduating AB Communication, Major in Broadcast Communication from the University of the Philippines-Diliman.

Before entering politics, she was already known in Davao City as a news and public affairs anchor. She also hosted the TV Program “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa” with Davao City Mayor, President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

Secretary Acosta holds the distinction as one of the first elected officials to be a Career Executive Service Eligible (CESE) and completed the 26th Executive Course on National Security (ECNS) by the Department of National Defense College of the Philippines.

She has a Master in Management degree, a Major in Development Management from the University of the Philippines-Mindanao, and a Senior Lecturer of Local Governance at the University of the Philippines-Mindanao, School of Management.