Guest Speaker's Profile

ROBERTO 'Obet' PAGDANGANAN was a consistent scholar graduating as valedictorian at the Calumpit Elementary School in 1959, valedictorian at the Calumpit Institute in 1963 and as Bachelor of Chemical Engineering Summa Cum Laude at the Manuel L. Quezon University (MLQU) in 1968. He completed his MBA at the De La Salle University in 1977 and Bachelor of Laws at MLQU in 1990. In 1995, he was conferred a Doctorate in Education Management by the Bulacan State University.

Obet has had extensive experience both in the private sector, (business, academe and civil society organizations), and in government service. He was a senior executive at Unilever and a part time professorial lecturer in chemical engineering and MBA subjects before he joined the government in 1986.

Obet was a most outstanding public servant, and had received numerous awards and recognitions. These include Most Outstanding Alumnus awards from all the schools he attended, the Tanglaw Kabataan Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest award, from the Boy Scouts of the Philippines, and the Dangal ng Lipi conferred by the Provincial Government of Bulacan. He also received a Legion of Honor award from President Cory Aquino for his role in fighting coup attempts during her term.

Obet considers himself particularly fortunate to have led the successful struggle of local officials for local autonomy, as President of the League of Provinces, and founding Chairman of the League of Leagues of Local Government Units, later known as Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, ULAP. He is a foremost advocate of equitable national progress through good governance and cooperative development.

Obet continued his advocacy on the strengthening of cooperatives when he was appointed Presidential Adviser on Cooperative and Chairman of the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) and later on as Secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) wherein he encouraged agrarian reform beneficiaries to form cooperatives under the Agrarian Reform Communities strategy. He has also authored the book, “An Urgent Call for Cooperative Revolution” and “A Pamphlet on How to Win the War Against Poverty and Attain Food Security- The Cooperative Way”

As Tourism Secretary, Obet initiated the opening of the Tourism Office in Beijing China and signed the MOA for tourism cooperation between the Philippines and China on September 5, 2004. He was the Chairman of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PhilSOC) when the Philippines hosted the 23rd SEA Games in 2005, and won the overall championship, for the first time.

As Chairman and President of PITC and PITC Pharma, he also spearheaded the quest to improve access to quality and affordable medicines for the Filipino people thru the Botika Ng Bayan program. He has since then been an advocate not only of access to medicines but also delivery of universal healthcare services for all Filipinos. Currently, he is Chairman of EHealthCore, Inc., Health Retirement and Tourism Alliance (HeaRT) and the Medicines Transparency Alliance (MeTA).

Obet's humble beginnings and familiarity with the travails of the less fortunate amongst us, have strengthened his resolve to help fight poverty and to improve the quality of life of the Filipino people. He attributes much of his values formation to boy scouting having been a member for more than 60 years. He attended the Tenth (10th) World Boy Scouts Jamboree in July 1959 at Mt. Makiling as a boy scout, and the 24th World Jamboree in Virginia, USA, in August, 2019, as Contingent Head of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines. He is also guided by Rotary’s motto “service above self”.