PVP Ben Diokno Is UPAA Most Distinguished Alumnus

PVP Benjamin "Ben" Diokno, Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management, was bestowed the Most Distinguished Alumnus Award by the University of the Philippines Alumni Association during the UP General Alumni Homecoming held last August 19, 2017 at the Ang Bahay ng Alumni, UP Campus, Diliman, Quezon City. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration in 1968, a Master of Public Administration in 1970 and a Master of Arts in 1974, all from the same university as he obtained his PhD in the USA. He had been a Professor at the UP School of Economics.

Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno has displayed excellence in the many capacities he has held as a member of the academe, government, legislature, and in media. He is recognized both nationally and internationally, serving the Philippines as either the Undersecretary (1986-1991) or Secretary (1998-2001 and 2006 to date) of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). The Philippines is No. 1 in budget transparency in ASEAN - in part because of reforms Secretary Diokno initiated and implemented, and which were subsequently continued and enhanced at the DBM, such as the “What You See Is What You Get” budgeting policy, the Organizational Performance Indicator Framework (OPIF) and Procurement reform. He has also served as an adviser to Philippine senators.

Secretary Diokno’s service to the Philippines extends beyond the country’s borders by his being recognized globally and invited to various academic institutions and policy making seminars and events by international development partners, such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. He has also been teaching at U.P. for almost 43 years. However, his service to the nation goes beyond the academe and policymaking as a bureaucrat by reaching millions of Filipinos through the print media with his bi-weekly op-ed in Business Week and Malaya, and the online platform Manila speak.