Atty. Tanya Pamela C. Caronongan-Viado

Atty. Tanya is a seasoned legal and commercial professional with over a decade of experience in Accenture Inc., a global services company that helps the world’s leading organizations establish their digital core, maximize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen services. Before joining Accenture, Tanya worked as a lawyer in Metro Pacific Investments, Inc., an investment management and holding publicly listed company, and subsequently, in Ocampo and Manalo Law Firm, where she handled litigation cases and corporate matters for various clients.

Atty. Tanya graduated from the De La Salle University Manila with a Bachelor of Arts, Major in Political Science. She obtained her Bachelor of Laws from the San Beda School of Law in 2011 and was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2012.

Edgar C. Herrera

Director Edgar C. Herrera has been the head of the DTI Internal Audit Service since 2016. With a notable career spanning both the banking sector and government service, he brings a wealth of expertise in financial operations, regulatory compliance, and process improvement.

Prior to joining the public sector, Director Herrera spent 16 years in the banking industry, where he developed a strong foundation in banking operations and regulatory frameworks, particularly those set by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). His expertise includes process optimization, operational audits, compliance assessments, and business continuity planning.

His professional journey began as a Voucher Control Staff at HSBC Manila, where he later became a Management and Internal Control Auditor. He steadily advanced through various leadership roles, ultimately serving as Assistant Vice President for Payment Services.

In 2016, he transitioned to government service by joining the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Under his leadership, the Internal Audit Service achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification in 2017. His key initiatives include conducting a baseline assessment of the department’s internal control system, leading top management training on internal controls, and championing the development of the Internal Audit Service Charter and Manual, which were formally approved in 2021.

Director Herrera holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from De La Salle University. He is also an active member of the Association of Government Internal Auditors, Inc.

Atty. Marco C. Maat

Atty. Marco Maat is the Legal Service Director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and concurrently designated by the DTI Secretary as the Second Alternate Chairperson of the DTI – Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines (CIAP) Board.

He also served as the Executive Director of the CIAP, an attached agency of the DTI and was designated as Secondary Alternate Representative of the DTI for the National Housing Authority (NHA) Board of Directors, and DTI Alternate Representative to the NEDA Board Committee on Infrastructure and its Technical Board (INFRACOM-TB).

Director Maat was also previously designated as the DTI’s Deputy Department Legislative Liaison Officer and the Vice-Chair for the Government of the Export Development Council – Networking Committee on Legislative Advocacy and Monitoring (NCLAM).

Tasked by previous DTI Secretaries to promote, advocate and formulate policies in relation to the legislative priorities of the Department, Atty. Maat significantly contributed, with his team, an innovative formulation of the DTI’s Legislative Agenda. He and his team also provided bill drafting services and assistance to several bureaus of DTI, as well as assisted DTI in key policy initiatives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was part of the legal and policy team that contributed to the issuances of guidelines relevant to DTI’s and IATF’s COVID-19 response in 2020 & 2021.For over a decade, he has been involved in legal work and has extensive experience in legal writing, policy formulation, legislative bill drafting, and legislative advocacy. Withal, as a lawyer, his comprehensive and in-depth professional understanding of both commercial and political law has lent him an incisive and acute grasp of the legislative process in the Philippines.

He is a dedicated public servant with the intention to further help the Government, especially on bringing back the energy to the economy and properly serve the Filipino people. He believes that his profession is not only for himself nor for his family but also for the society. For him, rule of law should prevail, and every right should be respected.

Atty. Fhillip D. Sawali

Atty. Fhillip D. Sawali is the Director of the Communications and Information Service (CIS) at the Office of the Secretary. Before his current stint, he was the Director of the DTI Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau (FTEB). Director Sawali has taught constitutional law as a Professorial Lecturer at the University of the Philippines College of Law. From 2016 to 2022, he served as the chief of staff of the Office of Senator Leila de Lima at the Senate of the Philippines. Also, in various durations from 2010 to 2016, he provided legal assistance as either counsel or consultant to several government institutions including the Office of the Speaker at the House of Representatives, the Office of the Regional Governor in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the Batangas State University, and the Office of the President. During his private practice, he co-founded the law firm Belmonte Sison Sawali and Associates, as well as worked at the Camacho and Associates Law Office, and the United Coconut Planters Bank.

Director Sawali is married and has three daughters. He earned his Juris Doctor diploma from the University of the Philippines College of Law in 2002, where he is currently pursuing a masteral degree. He graduated cum laude in Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of the Philippines College of Social Sciences and Philosophy in 1997. He also finished class valedictorian in both elementary and high school in his hometown of Mabini, Batangas where his parents served as long-time government employees. His mother was school principal and district supervisor for the Department of Education. His father was an agriculturist and local councilor.