Secretary Jesli A. Lapus leads the biggest department in the Philippine government with the largest annual budget and a manpower complement comprising a third of the bureaucracy.

Under his watch, the Department of Education (DepED) registered record achievements including the highest public approval rating among national government agencies, top performing cabinet secretary, big advances in students test ratings, and peak resource mobilization.  The World Bank (WB) pronounced the reforms instituted to be at par with international best practices.

Secretary Lapus served for three terms in the Philippine House of Representatives from 1998-2007.  He advocated for the cause of education and was responsible for fixing the multi-billion peso automatic payroll deduction scheme thereby benefiting some 300,000 teachers.  He was named “Champions of Public School Teachers.”  His other award was his induction into the Hall of Fame for Outstanding Legislator for five consecutive years by the Makati Graduate School and Congress Magazine.

Before his congressional tenure, he was a recognized professional manager in the private sector for manufacturing, financial services and international trade.  He further distinguished himself in the public arena when he served in the cabinets of Presidents Aquino and Ramos in the fields of rural finance and development.

A Certified Public Accountant and a Master in Business Management degree holder, Secretary Lapus was a pioneering faculty at the Asian Institute of Management’s (AIM) Masters in Development Management Program.  He was the youngest recipient of the most prestigious AIM alumnus award, the Triple A for outstanding management practice.  He taught for many years at the Ateneo de Manila University and conducted executive training courses abroad.

A tri-media practitioner, Secretary Lapus was a columnist in major dailies, hosts a weekly radio program and is a regular at television talk shows.

CURRENT POSITIONS

Executive Board member of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Paris, France.

Chairman, Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) Advisory Council

Chairman, Teachers Education Council (TEC)

Chairman, Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC)

Co-Chairman, Colombo Plan Staff College (CPSC) Advisory Council

Co-Chairman, Commission on Filipino Overseas (CFO)

EDUCATION

Doctor of Public Administration (Honoris Causa) – PUP (1997)

Master in Business Management – AIM (1973)

Investment Appraisal and Management – Harvard University, USA

Management of Transfer of Technology – INSEAD, France

Project Management – BITS, Sweden

AWARDS

Manuel L. Quezon Award for Exemplary Governance,  Federation of Catholic Schools Alumni Association (FeCaSAA) and the Good Citizenship Movement (GCM)

Champions of Digital Literacy Hall of Fame, Certiport for exemplary efforts to transform education through digital literacy standards

Bestowed the title Datu Bantugan V for invaluable service to Mindanao

Outstanding Citizen of Pampanga and Tarlac Provinces

Outstanding CPA in the Philippines (both PICPA and GACPA)

Manila’s Best Dressed Men Awardee

PROFESSIONAL/CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS

Management Association of the Philippines (past Governor)

Bankers Association of the Philippines (past Treasurer)

Alumni Association of the Asian Institute of Management (past President)

Young Presidents Organization (YPO)

FINEX, PICPA, PCCI, PMAP, GBAP

MANAGEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

1. Dubbed as the “Management Whiz Kid in the ASEAN” by Asian Finance, an International magazine.

2. As the youngest President and CEO of the Land Bank of the Philippines at 42 years old, he steered the bank from number 18 to become the 3^rd biggest in the banking industry and best performing GFI in a span of six years from 1992-1998.  He is considered the father of the Land Bank Charter of 1995.

3. Appointed Undersecretary, Department of Agrarian Reform in 1987, he established the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) Fund and set up the Support Services Sector.

4. As the first Filipino and the youngest Managing Director of multinational company Triumph International (Phils.), Inc. from 1979-1985, it became the biggest operation of its kind in the world, making it top RP exporter and employer.

5. At 23, he was the Chief Finance Officer (CFO) of the Ramcar Group and engineered mergers and acquisitions in the battery industry and establishing Ramcar as the undisputed market leader in the country.

6.  At age 20, he was an Auditor-in-Charge at SGV & Co. CPA’s.