The President could not have picked a better person to lead the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)”, said Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. named Cristina Aldequer-Roque as DTI Acting Secretary.

“During her time as Undersecretary for the MSME Development Group, she has proven to be a strong ally of the MSMEs, assisting in whatever way she can in pushing for policies that can benefit this critical sector of our economy,” he said.

Concepcion said Roque’s experience as a successful entrepreneur herself come as powerful credentials for leading the DTI. “She can bring private sector perspective to the DTI and give continuity to programs that have already been set in place.

Concepcion said her appointment also comes at a time when women are being recognized as a powerful force in business and economy. Roque will be the only other woman to lead the DTI since Lilia Bautista took on the helm in 1992. “This is definitely a step in the right direction,” he said.

Concepcion thanked outgoing DTI Sec. Alfredo Pascual for his service to MSMEs, citing his support for the country’s MSMEs, which comprise almost all of the enterprises in the country and generate more than half of the country’s jobs. Pascual was appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as DTI Secretary in June 2022 after several years of a successful career in the private sector and serving as the President of the University of the Philippines.

“Going by how Fred Pascual’s stint at the DTI did so much for the Filipino MSMEs, I think we can look forward to a more vibrant and dynamic MSME sector under Cris Roque’s watch,” he said.