Profile

Ronaldo V. Puno has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the Ateneo de Manila University and Masteral Credits from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. 

He has an impressive track record spanning over 35 years in the fields of business, media and public relations, diplomacy and public administration. His involvement in the Philippine Government, which started in 1975, lead him to extensive assignments.

He first served as Assistant Secretary and Head Executive Assistant at the Office of the Secretary in July 1974 when it was then known as the Department of Local Government and Community Development (DLGCD). He also served as program director of the Barangay Brigades and chairman of the Performance Audit Team of the DLGCD.

Puno was also a member of the Tripoli Technical Committee during the Philippines’ negotiations with Libya on the Muslim Mindanao issue in 1977.

In 1982, Puno was appointed Minister-Counsellor of the Embassy of the Philippines in Washington DC. He also served as Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation and Communication and was later named Deputy Minister of the Office of Media Affairs.

Puno briefly left the government service to become the first Filipino to work as senior political consultant at the prestigious Black, Manafort, and Stone & Kelly firm from 1989 to 1991. He was also consultant at the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company for two years and chairman of the Board of Administrators of Broadcast City from 1992 to 1993.

He served as a consultant of Micron Public Affairs Co. and was president of Micron Overseas Marketing before serving the DILG as Undersecretary on July 1998 under the administration of former President Estrada.

President Estrada named Puno as DILG Secretary in April 1999 and stayed in his post until January 2000. He left the government service to return to his private endeavors after his stint at the DILG and was elected in 2004 as member of the House of Representatives representing the first district of Antipolo City.

He was the President of the Political Party KAMPI prior to its merger with Lakas. And he is currently the Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the co-vice chairman of unified party Lakas-Kampi-CMD.