Aniceto Sobrepeña

Early Life and Education

Sobrepeña was born on June 17, 1953 in San Jose City, a farming community in northern Nueva Ecija. Hegraduated with First Honorable Mention honors in high school in 1969. He finished his A.B. Political Science degree, cum laude, and with Departmental Honors at the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) in 1973. Later, he acquired his Certificate in Development Economics from the University of the Philippines School of Economics (UPSE) as a National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Scholar in 1974. He completed his Master of Arts in Development Economics from the Williams College in Massachusetts, USA in 1977, also a NEDA-USAID scholar in 1977.

Sobrepeña was a member of the Federation of Free Farmers during the pre-martial law era, advocating land reform even though his family, owned substantial tracts of land in the province. He was recruited to join the NEDA right after graduation, and after finishing his training at the UPSE, he volunteered for an assignment serving in the Eastern Visayas Regional Development Council from 1974 to 1976.

Public Service

Beginning as a Research Assistant, Sobrepeña became a director in the national government at the age of 27, steering the Policy Coordination Staff of NEDA. He later joined the Office of the President as Undersecretary before being appointed as Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) from 1990 to 1992 during the historic transition to democrative governance, Sobrepeña was the youngest member in the Corazon Aquino Cabinet at 36. His last appointment in government was during the term of President Fidel V. Ramos as Deputy Director General of the NEDA from 1992 to 1995. his total government service of more than twenty-two (22) years marked with the distinction of achieving the highest rank in the Career Executive Service Officers (CESO) corps (Rank I) from the Career Executive Service Board.

Sobrepeña worked for more than two decades in the public service. He directed and supervised the provision of technical and conference support to the President and the Cabinet, through the Cabinet Assistance System (CAS) including coordination of Presidential state visits. His responsibilities in the NEDA included managing the review of proposed economic policies and the formulation of regional and physical development plans. When President Aquino championed NGOs and people’s organizations in governance and development, Chito served on the Philippine Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD).

Private Sector

Sobrepeña is currently the President of the Metrobank Foundation, Inc. (MBFI), the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of the Metrobank Group.

For more than 17 years now as a private sector leader, he has steered the MBFI to new heights of institutional achievements in the public affairs and human development arena. The MBFI has emerged as one of the country’s most dynamic philanthropic organizations, implementing a wide array of CSR programs in such key sectors as education, visual arts, health care, the judiciary, police and military, and grant-making to various socio-civic and charitable institutions in the Philippines and in the Asia-Pacific Region.

Under Sobrepeña’s leadership, Metrobank was declared winner in the Corporate Social Responsibility Program category of the 1999 Asian Banking Awards, in recognition of the significant impact of the MBFI’s different programs on the country’s development efforts. Since joining the Metrobank Group, the MBFI has since garnered three (3) international awards and close to fifty (50) awards of recognition from public affairs organizations and government bodies, such as the Public Relations Society of the Philippines, and the International Association of Business Communicators Philippines.

In 2012 the Metrobank Foundation was awarded the Distinguished Sesquicentennial (150 years) Gawad Rizal Awards from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. The institution was similarly recognized as Quezon City’s Most Outstanding Organization for 2012 as the leading CSR institution for a leading banking enterprise.

In 2012, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) invited Sobrepeña to Paris, France to speak on the initiatives of Metrobank Foundation in promoting the status of teachers, especially the 28-year-old Search for Outstanding Teachers and the annual National Teachers’ Month celebrations. His being the lone panelist from Asia to address the international gathering was regarded as a recognition of the successful programs of the Foundation and the leadership of the institution in corporate social responsibility

The De La Salle University conferred on the Foundation the Signum Ministerii(Sign of Service) Medal “in recognition of its various initiatives, programs and achievements toward the enhancement of the quality of life of and the promotion of a culture of excellence among Filipinos.” MBFI is the third recipient of the award aligning itself with venerable institutions that have vigorously figured in the attainment of our nation’s democracy, namely, the Radio Veritas, the only Catholic radio station in Asia in 1983, and the National Citizen’s Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) in 1984.

Awards and Recognition

The following are some of the awards and recognition given to Sobrepeña in the course of his private and government career:

Personal life

Sobrepeña is active in the “Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon” (Joy of the Lord), a Catholic Christian covenant community based in Metro Manila. He has been a member since 1982, and was involved in the community and its Partners-in-Mission, including Couples for Christ, Christ’s Youth in Action, and the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals. Chito had served as pastoral leader to single men and, together with his wife, and is currently involved in conducting marriage enrichment workshops, called Intimacy Weekend.

Chito is married to the former Anna Isabel Crisostomo and has three children who all have completed college education, namely: Gabriel, Rafael, and Michaela.