Leonor Briones

Leonor "Liling" Mirasol Magtolis-Briones (born October 16, 1940)[1] is a Filipino academician, economist, and civil servant who is the incumbent Secretary of Education under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.[2] She is also professor emeritus of public administration at the National College of Public Administration & Governance (NCPAG) of the University of the Philippines Diliman and was chairman of the board of directors of Silliman University in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.

The Honorable Leonor Briones
Secretary of Education
Incumbent
Assumed office June 30, 2016
President	Rodrigo Duterte
Preceded by	Br. Armin A. Luistro, FSC
21st Treasurer of the Philippines
In office August 1998 – February 2001
President	Joseph Ejercito Estrada
Preceded by	Caridad Valdehuesa
Succeeded by	Eduardo Sergio Gonzales Edeza
Personal details
Born	Leonor Mirasol Magtolis October 16, 1940 Guihulngan, Negros Oriental, Philippine Commonwealth
Nationality	Filipino
Residence	Valencia, Negros Oriental
Alma mater	Silliman University (BBA) University of the Philippines Diliman (MPA) Leeds University (PGDip)
Occupation	Economist, Professor, Politician

She is a former Presidential Adviser for Social Development with the rank of department secretary and was National Treasurer of the Philippines (head of the Bureau of the Treasury) from August 1998 to February 2001.[3][4]

Early life and education

Briones was born in Guihulngan, Negros Oriental on October 16, 1940. She was the daughter of Carlos Magtolis, Sr., a school teacher,[5] and Ursula Mirasol.

She obtained her Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in accounting from Silliman University in 1958 and her Master of Public Administration degree with a major in local government and fiscal administration from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1967.[3]

In 1968, she acquired her post-graduate diploma, with honors, at Leeds University in England.[6] In 1984, she proceeded to complete further studies in the United States, where she earned a certificate in Policy for Public Enterprise from the Harvard Institute for International Development at Harvard University.[3]

She received her Doctor of Humanities (Honoris Causa) in Public Administration from Central Philippine University in 2016, the sister school of Silliman University.

Career

Briones has served in various capacities. Her stints include teaching public fiscal administration at the University of the Philippines; and serving as secretary to the Commission on Audit for seven years, consultant to the Senate of the Philippines, Asian Development Bank and the United Nations Development Program, lead convenor of Social Watch Philippines, Inc.,[7] coordinator of Social Watch Asia, member of the Coordinating Committee of Social Watch International, chair of the board of Focus on the Global South, the first FIlipino member of the Club of Rome,[6] director for Policy and Executive Development at the National College of Public Administration and Governance at the University of the Philippines Diliman, and vice-president for finance in the same university.[3]

She also served as chairman of the board of trustees of Silliman University.[8] In 2010, Briones was nominated for the Presidency of the University of the Philippines[9] but fell short of getting a majority vote from the university's Board of Regents.[10]

Prior to serving in the Rodrigo Duterte administration as Education secretary, she was active in the private sector serving as director of AgriNurture, Inc., an office she held since 2008 and as an independent director of Megawide Construction Corp. since July 19, 2010.[3]

Awards and distinctions

Briones is an Outstanding Sillimanian Awardee in the field of Fiscal and Public Administration.[11] In 2005, she addressed the UN General Assembly where she appealed to the member-nations of the United Nations to fulfill their promises in fighting poverty.[12] In 2011, she was one of few individuals who received the prestigious Bayi Citation Award for Government Service.[13]

Professor emeritus conferment

The University of the Philippines's Board of Regents (BOR), the national university's highest policy-making body, formally conferred upon Briones in 2012 the rank of professor emeritus of public administration. Currently, she is one of the two professor emeriti of the National College of Public Administration and Governance along with former UP president José Abueva. The rank of professor emeritus is a high distinction given to retired faculty members of the university by virtue of their contributions as intellectuals.

Personal life

On April 9, 2020, Briones disclosed that she tested positive for COVID-19. She is asymptomatic. The first test on March 13 had a negative result, while her second test on April 2 had a positive result.[14][15] On April 13, she was tested again and the result was negative.[16]

References

1. Dejaresco, Ely (June 5, 2016). "Prof. Lingling Briones: NegOr's Cabinet Member". The Negros Chronicle. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
2. "UP's Briones ready to head DepEd". ABS-CBN News. 31 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
3. "Leonor Briones". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 2011-04-22.
4. "Past Treasurers" Archived 2009-05-29 at the Wayback Machine. Bureau of the Treasury, Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved 2011-04-22.
5. Magtolis Briones, Leonor (22 June 2009). "My small town father - Leonor Magtolis Briones". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
6. "PROF. LEONOR MAGTOLIS BRIONES". Bureau of the Treasury. Archived from the original on 7 May 2002. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
7. Social Watch Philippines
8. "Tipon Silliman 2003 – Teaneck, New Jersey". SUACONA. Retrieved 2011-04-22.
9. "More than a thousand endorse Prof. Leonor Briones for UP President". Retrieved 2011-04-22.
10. "UP elects new president". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 2011-04-22.
11. Former BOT chair gets award. Visayan Daily Star. Retrieved 2011-04-22.
12. "Prof. Leonor Briones's U.N. Speech: "FULFILL YOUR PROMISES"". Diliman-Diary.blogspot. Retrieved 2011-04-22.
13. "Former RP national treasurer receives prestigious award for women leaders". Philippine Information Agency. Retrieved 2011-04-22.
14. "DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones tests positive for coronavirus". Rappler. 2020-04-09. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
15. "DepEd's Briones tests positive for COVID-19". Philippine Daily Inquirer. 2020-04-09. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
16. "DepEd Sec. Briones now COVID-19 negative". Philippine Daily Inquirer. 2020-04-13. Retrieved 2020-07-22.

External links

• Secretary Briones on Twitter
• Secretary Briones on Facebook (official)
• Leonor Briones on Facebook
• Bureau of Treasury Official Website (archived)
• National College of Public Administration & Governance Official Website
• Department of Education Official Website