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CITEM hosts appreciation dinner to welcome new board of governors

By Aly Dela Peña |  January 16, 2025

Manila, January 10, 2025 – The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) hosted an Appreciation Dinner for the incumbent and incoming members of the agency’s Board of Governors, in light of the issuance of  Executive Order 75 on November 22, 2024 that primarily moves to strengthen the role of CITEM in optimizing promotion efforts for the country’s export capabilities.

Left to right, front: Department of Tourism Usec. Verna Buensuceso; CITEM Founder Dr. Mina Gabor; Department of Trade and Industry Sec. Cristina Aldeguer-Roque; CITEM Executive Director Leah Pulido Ocampo; and Government Service Insurance System President Jose Arnulfo “Wick” Veloso. Back: Government Service Insurance System Chief of Staff Claro Fernandez; Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Chief of Staff Leslie Vanessa Lim; Department of Foreign Affairs Usec. Charles Jose; Department of Agriculture Asec. Philip Young; Landbank of the Philippines First Vice President Esperanza Martinez; Overseas Filipino Bank Officer-In-Charge/President and CEO Elcid Pangilinan; Department of Science and Technology Asec. Diana Ignacio; and National Food Authority OIC Deputy Administrator Mario Andrada

 

“The Executive Order heralds a transformative era for CITEM–it emphasizes the need for an integrated approach to export marketing, a stronger organizational structure, and a strengthened CITEM as the country’s export promotion agency,” said CITEM Executive Director Leah Pulido Ocampo addressing the guests at the affair.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Board of Governors, Secretary Cristina Aldeguer-Roque of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), said that “CITEM has long been a trailblazer in showcasing Philippine creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship on the global stage,” adding that it has created opportunities for industries to thrive and has opened doors to various markets.

CITEM founder, first President and CEO Dr. Mina T. Gabor also graced the event, sharing that “CITEM is about the people—the artisans, the entrepreneurs, the visionaries—who touch the lives of the people in our communities whose dreams we help realize.”

CITEM Executive Director Leah Pulido Ocampo; Department of Trade and Industry Sec. Cristina Aldeguer-Roque; and CITEM Founder Dr. Mina Gabor

 

The outgoing board members were the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Land Bank of the Philippines, and the National Food Authority (NFA).

The new agencies joining the governing board are the Department of Agriculture (DA); Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA); Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG); Department of Science and Technology (DOST); Department of Tourism (DOT); and the Office of the President (OP). They will join DTI, CITEM, and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).