Alfredo E. Pascual

Alfredo "Fred" Espinosa Pascual (born July 7, 1948) is a Filipino international development banker and finance expert who served as the Secretary of Trade and Industry under the administration of President Bongbong Marcos from June 30, 2022 to August 1, 2024. He then enrolled in the University of the Philippines Diliman and took up B.S. Chemistry, graduating cum laude in 1969. He received his Master of Business Administration degree from the same university in 1972. While at the University of the Philippines, he was initiated into the Upsilon Sigma Phi.

He attended the EC-ASEAN Teacher Program on the Management of Strategic and Organizational Change at the INSEAD Euro-Asia Centre in Fontainebleau, France. Some of the other nominees were: School of Economics professor and current Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, former College of Law dean Raul Pangalangan, National Historical Commission of the Philippines chair and former university vice president for academic affairs Ma. Serena Diokno, former Department of English & Comparative Literature chair Consolacion Alaras, former chancellors Sergio Cao of University of the Philippines Diliman and Luis Rey Velasco of University of the Philippines Los Banos, and Social Weather Stations fellow and School of Labor and Industrial Relations professor Virginia Teodosio.

Recognizing the role of the arts and humanities in developing a sense of national identity and unity among Filipinos, Pascual implemented the Cultural Infrastructure Development Program (CIDP) in 2014 with government funding of close to . CIDP provided the funding for the rehabilitation and upgrading of cultural facilities in various campuses for performing arts and creative works.

Pascual created over 800 One-U.P. Professorial Chairs and Faculty Grants in 2015; these are annual grants awarded for three years, renewable based on performance.

In the area of finance and administration, Pascual raised for U.P. substantial resources through government budget allocations, donations, and revenue-generating projects. When he assumed the U.P. Presidency, funding from the government was declining. But he campaigned for and succeeded in getting big increases in government funding for U.P. The U.P. budget for operating expenses, in particular, has quadrupled. Around P12 billion has been allocated for modernizing the physical and cyber infrastructure of U.P. campuses (funding about 80 new buildings and 60 major renovations) and upgrading the hospital equipment of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH). He assumed the post on June 30, 2022, following the inauguration of Marcos albeit in an ad interim capacity, pending confirmation from the Commission on Appointments. His nomination, however, was bypassed twice by the Commission—first in September due to time constraints, and then in December due to concerns raised by Representative Johnny Pimentel and Senator Imee Marcos regarding the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry. He was reappointed by Marcos Jr. and was sworn again on December 16. He was eventually confirmed by the Commission in February 2023.

As the DTI Secretary, Pascual worked to foster innovation-driven industrialization, promote trade and investment, nurture MSMEs, and ensure consumer protection while navigating the country toward a more sustainable and inclusive economy. During his tenure, the DTI launched a series of successful investment roadshows across the globe. These initiatives significantly boosted the country’s visibility on the international stage, drawing investments in key sectors.

On July 31, 2024, the Presidential Communications Office announced his resignation as he plans to move back to the private sector. On August 31, 2024, Pascual was named as an independent director of Banco de Oro.

Affiliations Pascual was the lead convenor of the Automated Election System (AES) Watch, an independent, multi-sector coalition that monitored and assessed the Philippines’ first-ever nationwide poll automation in May 2010.

He served as a trustee of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), and as Chairperson of the U.P. Foundation and the U.P. Provident Fund, among others.

Pascual is a Life Member of the MAP and the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX), and a past president of the Rotary Club of Makati.

Awards Pascual's accomplishments as U.P. President were recognized with the Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award in 2014 from the Philippine President, the Rotary Golden Wheel Award for Higher Education in 2013, and the Lifetime Distinguished Achievement Award from the U.P. Alumni Association in 2017. For his achievements as U.P. President, he was also given by the Asia CEO Awards in 2018 the recognition as Circle of Excellence awardee for the category Global Filipino Executive of the Year.

Pascual was also conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of the Philippines in 2020; an honorary Doctor of Pedagogy by the Angeles University in Angeles, Pampanga, Philippines in 2012; an honorary Doctor of Humanities by Partido State University in 2016; and a PhD in Social Science (honoris causa) by Shu-Te University, Taiwan in 2016.

In October 2024, Pascual was conferred the Arangkada Lifetime Achievement Award for 2024 by the Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines (JFC) in recognition of his "44 years of public service, especially his most recent achievements as the former Secretary of Trade and Industry."