Marcos Jr. appoints Henry Aguda as new DICT sec

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. appointed Henry Aguda, former UnionDigital Bank president and CEO, as the new secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Thursday, March 20.

Aguda will replace Ivan John Uy who resigned in early March without providing a reason after serving since May 2022.

The newly appointed DICT Secretary should prioritize boosting state transparency in handling data breaches affecting government agencies, according to digital advocates like Ronald B. Gustilo of Digital Pinoys.

Under Aguda's guidance, digitalization, connectivity, digital inclusion, and cybersecurity will remain central priorities, with a focus on strengthening data privacy and expanding internet access to underserved areas.

Aguda previously served as Digital Infrastructure Lead at the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) and held executive positions in various financial institutions and telecom companies, such as chairmanship at City Savings Bank and UBX Philippines.