Bayani S.

Aguirre

Education

Completed his BSBA (Econ) and MBA (with MA Econ units) from the University of the
Philippines in 1965 and 1974 respectively. Took up a special course in Trade Promotion
at Manchester University, U.K. in 1970 and a Trade Promotion Service Programme at the
International Trade Centre UNCTAD/GATT (ITC), Geneva in 1976. Participated in
management development training programmes of the United Nations Development
Programme, New York.
Career
Retired from the United Nations Development Programme in 2002, and went into
development consulting.

Past-International
Worked with the United Nations System for 20 years. He was Country Programme
Director of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sudan (1998-2001); he
was also posted by UNDP in senior-level positions in India (1993-98) and in UNDP
Headquarters, New York (1989-93). Prior to this, he was a senior officer with the
International Trade Centre UNCTAD/GATT (ITC) based in Geneva (1988-89) and was ITC
Project Coordinator in the Kingdom of Lesotho (1983-87). He had worked also with the
UN-ESCAP based in Bangkok (1981-82) as well as with the UNCTAD in Geneva (1979). He
not only represented UNDP but also other UN agencies (such as FAO, WHO, UNIDO and
UNIC) as Resident Representative, i.e., while he was stationed in the Sudan (1998-2001).

Past-Philippines
Was Executive Director & Vice President of the Philippine Export Council (1976-79). He
also held senior level positions in special projects/programmes of the National Economic &
Development Authority (1974-82). He represented the Philippines in a number of regional
and international conferences on trade. He also served as consultant with the Philippine
International Trading Corporation (1978-79), the Department of Trade (1973), Presidential
Economic Staff (1972-73), and UNICEF-Manila (1974). He also had a few years of
management consultancy work in the private sector. Prior to this, he was a staff member of
the Institute of Economic Development & Research, UP School of Economics, where his
duties, among others, was to assist in the editing and publication of the Philippine
Economics Journal (PEJ) from 1965-68 and the Philippine Review of Business and
Economics (a College of Bus. Adm. Publication) in 1965.

Awards
Recipient of the “Pamana Award”, the highest award given by the Office of the
President of the Philippines to overseas Filipinos for outstanding achievement in their
profession (December 2000). He also received the “Distinguished Alumni Award:”,
University of the Philippines, College of Business Administration (December 2002). He
was given a “Certificate of Recognition” (December 2002), the “Chancery Service
Award” (January 2004), and the Most Outstanding Chancery Officer (2005-06) by the
Alpha Phi Beta Chancery Inc. He also won the 1966 UP Alumni Annual Literary
Awards (Winning Entry: "The Quest for the Golden Utopia") and the National Essay
Contest on "Why I Wish to Follow the Footsteps of Rizal in Business and Industry",
sponsored by the Knights of Rizal, 1959.

Membership in Professional/Civic Organizations

He is Founder-Convenor of the Filipinos in the UN Network, Inc. He is also a member of the

Philippine Economics Society, UP School of Economics Alumni Association, and the UP MBA
Alumni Society. He is a Member of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Publications and
Info Technology Committees of the U.P. Alumni Association and Vice President of the UP
Vargas Museum Circle of Friends, Inc. He is a Charter and Founding member of the Asia
Pacific Basin for Energy Strategies (APBest).

Studies & Publications

Published a number of studies in the course of his work with UN agencies such
as:"Partners in Progress: ASEAN-UNDP Cooperation", UNDP (March 1991); "Drawing up
a contract for an export joint venture," International Trade Forum, (October-November
1989). (Reprinted in Spanish in Boletin, Camara de Comercio Argentino Sovietico, Buenos
Aires, Ano IV No. 4, September/October 1990); "Export-Oriented Joint Ventures," ITC
monograph (October 1990); "Programme Advisory Note on Trade Information Services",
UNDP Headquarters, (March 1988); "Handbook for Exporters in Lesotho", Ministry of
Trade and Industry/ITC Publication, Lesotho (1986); "Trade Profile", ESCAP Publication,
Bangkok (1982); "Trade Promotion: Building National Institutions", UNDP Headquarters
Publication (1983). His extensive experience in writing, editorial work and publications in
the Philippines include the following: Managing Editor, The Philippine Collegian (1967);
Assistant Editor-in-Chief, 1966 Philippinensian; Editor, Collegian FOLIO (1964-66).

Family life and coming home to serve

Married to Isabel G. Garcia (UP BSFS, 1973) with two children Majalina (a lawyer) and
Magat (a software engineer), both residing and working in New York City. After more
than 20 years of work with United Nations organizations and having lived in 6 different
countries/cities (e.g., Bangkok, Lesotho, Geneva, New York, New Delhi and Khartoum),
he and his wife decided to come home in 2001 and, again, be of service to the Philippines.

October 2008