Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) officer-in-charge and Undersecretary Paul Joseph Mercado said Friday he is working with incoming Secretary Henry Rhoel Aguda for the smooth transition of leadership.
“The DICT is ready to work with incoming Secretary Henry Rhoel Aguda, a distinguished digital technocrat with vast experience in banking, fintech and digital transformation,” the agency said in a statement.
The DICT said Aguda would share updates on his plans to the public in due course, following thorough consultations with the executive and management committees of the DICT.
“With Secretary Aguda at the helm, the department is confident that we will continue to uphold President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s vision of an inclusive Bagong Pilipinas and accelerate the realization of his digital agenda for the country,” the department said.
President Marcos on Thursday appointed Aguda, a digital banking pioneer, the new secretary of DICT, in place of lawyer and IT expert Ivan John Uy who resigned earlier.
“The DICT family, including its attached agencies, welcomes the appointment of our new Secretary Henry Rhoel R. Aguda,” the department said in a Facebook post.
Aguda, the former president and chief executive of UnionDigital Bank and the digital infrastructure sector lead of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC), played a pivotal role in providing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., with visionary strategies and innovative initiatives to strengthen the country’s digital infrastructure and create more than a million digital jobs, the DICT said.
With an impressive track record in the banking industry and deep expertise in technology and digital transformation, Aguda also held senior leadership roles at UnionBank as chief technology and operations officer and chief transformation officer.
“The DICT family stands fully committed to supporting Secretary Aguda in realizing President Marcos’ vision of a secure, inclusive and progressive Philippines,” the DICT said.