President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Henry Aguda as the new Secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) in the Philippines, effective March 20, 2025.
Aguda, a seasoned executive with a background in both the private and public sectors, takes over from Ivan John Uy. He resigned earlier in March after leading the DICT in May 2022.
Aguda brings a wealth of experience to his new role. He served as President and CEO of UnionDigital Bank prior to his appointment. UnionDigital is the digital banking subsidiary of UnionBank, a major financial institution in the Philippines. He resigned from that position in August 2024.
His private sector career is also extensive, including leadership roles at City Savings Bank and UBX Philippines. Furthermore, he held directorships at a range of companies, including Insular Health Care and BancNet.
Beyond his corporate experience, Aguda has been actively involved in advising the government on digital infrastructure. He served as the Digital Infrastructure Lead for the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC), a group established by President Marcos to provide recommendations on economic and digital development.
In this capacity, the DICT noted, that Henry Aguda played a key role in developing strategies to strengthen the country’s digital framework and create digital jobs.
This combined legal and technical background positions Henry Aguda well to lead the efforts that DICT is going to implement in navigating the evolving digital landscape.
Henry previously shared and discussed with us on the challenges and opportunities of the Philippine banking industry’s digital transformation, including mobile-first strategies, fintech partnerships, and financial inclusion. Watch the video below:
Featured image credit: Edited from Freepik
