Usec. Ceferino S. Rodolfo

Undersecretary Ceferino S. Rodolfo, also known as Usec. Perry, heads the Industry Development
and Investment Promotions Group (IPG) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The
foremost mandate of the IPG is to promote and develop the Philippine industrial sector by carrying
out several fundamental functions:

1. Formulate and implement policies that enhance the country’s industrial growth and
   competitiveness;
2. Attract both domestic and foreign investments to boost economic activity and generate
   jobs;
3. Support various industries, including manufacturing, services, and agriculture, to ensure
   balanced growth across sectors;
4. Streamline regulations to make the business environment more conducive for investment
   and development;
5. Coordinate with other government agencies to enhance infrastructure that supports
   industrial growth; and,
6. Promote sustainable practices within industries to ensure long-term economic and
   environmental sustainability.

As the Undersecretary of the IPG, Usec. Perry oversees the Philippine Economic Zone Authority
(PEZA) and the National Development Company (NDC). In addition to his responsibilities with
PEZA and NDC, Usec. Perry leads the 29 trade and investment Posts of the DTI located in 21
countries. He also manages the development, promotion, and monitoring of Philippine exports
through the Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) and enforces trade remedy measures via the Bureau
of Import Services (BIS).

In the area of trade policy and negotiations, Usec. Perry’s notable accomplishments include:

• Acted as the focal official for the Philippines’ successful application to the EU’s
  Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) Program, and ensuring the country’s
  continued enjoyment of the privilege;
• Served as the Chief Negotiator for the Philippines who concluded the following
  agreements: the Philippines-South Korea Free Trade Agreement (PH-ROK FTA), the
  Philippines-European Free Trade Association Free Trade Agreement (PH-EFTA FTA),
  and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) Pillars on Supply Chains,
  Clean Economy, and Fair Economy;
• Led the Philippine panel that presented and defended the country’s trade policies before
  the World Trade Organization (WTO) during the most recent Trade Policy Review (March
  2018);
• Headed the Philippines’ Delegation to the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference held in
  Geneva, Switzerland, in June 2022; and,
• Expanded the Philippines’ network of official bilateral trade and investment cooperation
  agreements by negotiating and implementing new Joint Economic Commissions (JECs)
  and high-level dialogue mechanisms with several countries, including Switzerland,
  Canada, Russia, Germany, Hungary, Czech Republic, Chile, Turkey, Pakistan, Australia,
  South Korea, Israel, Papua New Guinea, and the United Kingdom.

Usec. Perry likewise serves as the Chair of the Socio-Economic Working Group of the National
Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS). Furthermore, he has held the position of
Chair of the Economics, Development, and Prosperity Working Group of the Philippines-United
States Bilateral Strategic Dialogue (PH-US BSD) for seven (7) consecutive years.

Concurrently, Usec. Perry serves as the Vice-Chairman and Managing Head of the Board of
Investments (BOI) – a position he has held under the appointment of three (3) successive
Philippine Presidents. Under his leadership, the BOI recorded an investment approval of PHP
1.62 trillion in 2024, the highest in its 58-year history. This achievement continues the recordbreaking trend of investment approvals in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2023.