Bienvenido Laguesma

Bienvenido Estudillo Laguesma (born October 3, 1950) is a Filipino government official, lawyer, and businessman who served as the 31st secretary of labor and employment under President Bongbong Marcos from 2022 to 2026, and previously as the 25th secretary under President Joseph Estrada from 1998 to 2001.

Education Laguesma was born on October 3, 1950, in Santa Cruz, Manila. He attended the Lyceum of the Philippines University where he obtained a bachelor's degree in political science in 1971. He then attended the Ateneo de Manila University where he graduated with a law degree in 1975. He entered the Royal Institute of Public Administration as a Colombo Scholar and took up an administration course in 1985. He also finished a CES Development Program at the Development Academy of the Philippines in 1984.

Career Government Laguesma started working at the Ministry of Labor and Employment (now Department of Labor and Employment; DOLE) in the 1970s during the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos. Starting as a labor arbiter, he rose through the ranks within the ministry. He served as DOLE Undersecretary from 1990 to 1996 spanning the presidencies of Corazon Aquino and Fidel V. Ramos. From 1996 to 1998, Laguesma was Presidential Assistant for Ramos. He would then serve as Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment from 1998 to 2001 during the administration of President Joseph Estrada.

He was offered to reprise his role as DOLE Secretary by president-elect Bongbong Marcos. He was initially reluctant, citing his age but later accepted Marcos' offer. He later resigned from the DOLE in May 2026 due to health reasons and was replaced by Francis Tolentino who was named as acting secretary.

Other Laguesma runs his own private law firm and was the director of Philex Mining Corporation and the First Metro Investment Corporation.