Domingo “Dominic” R. Tolentino, Jr. took his Oath of Office before President Rodrigo Roa Duterte as Assistant Secretary (Asec) of the Department of Trade and Industry, Regional Operations Group, at the Malacañang Palace on 03 March 2020.

Asec Tolentino lives by PRRD’s motto “by working together, we build a nation where citizens are empowered.” and former DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez, “more grassroot approach in programs and livelihood intervention to widen the reach of the marginalized sectors providing skills, jobs, business.”

Asec Dominic, as he is fondly called, is designated by virtue of Department Order 20-52, tasking him as the following major programs of this administration;

1. National Coordinator, Livelihood Seeding Program – Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay (LSP-NSB)
2. National Coordinator, Diskwento Caravan
3. ROG In-Charge, Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa (BP2) Program

Prior to his appointment as Assistant Secretary, he served as the Director of the Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau of the DTI-Consumer Protection Group, in which he ensured regulation of importation as provided by trade agreements and conduct market surveillance and enforcement to ensure compliance with trade and industry law, among others.

Further, Asec Tolentino is a former Director of the Consumer Policy and Advocacy Bureau, the office that develops advocacies and policies to ensure a fair marketplace for both the consumers and businesses. He is responsible for heightening consumer awareness program and bringing basic necessities and prime commodities to the Barangay and likewise the Serbisyo sa Barangay. He handles policy and advocacy programs. Asec. Tolentino hails from Cavite City and comes from the Tolentino Clan.

He is a known to be a seasoned operations management executive with expertise in Marketing, Promotion, Local Government Administration, Planning, Urban Development, Project Management, Trade and Industry, Consumer Policy, Advocacy and Protection.

Before joining the DTI, he spearheaded the Resettlement Program to uplift the living conditions of the disadvantaged people of the community, developed, and implemented a comprehensive and integrated housing development and resettlement programs, the Chief of the Housing Development and Resettlement Department and former Cavite Majority Leader of the Cavite Provincial Legislator and National Chairman of Board Member League.

He is part of the economic team who is responsible for lowering the inflation by saturating the rice in the market. Former Head Executive Assistant of the Department of Labor and Employment and also a former Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) Trade Tourism.

He represented the Philippines during the ASEAN Regional Forum on the Promotion of Sustainable Consumption and one of DTI’s representatives to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting on Digital Marketing and Promotion held in Varas, Chile last 20-26 August 2019. Also in the ASEAN-USPTO Workshop on Intellectual Property Enforcement, Public Awareness and Consumer Behavior last 07-09 November 2018 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Bureau of Market Development, Promotions, and OTOP (BMDPO)
Mandated to promote the efficient marketing of local products and services through the conduct of marketing events, such as trade fairs, in-store displays, exhibits, and local trade missions; expand and strengthen linkages among MSMEs through information exchange and business matching activities; and create awareness of domestic marketing opportunities for new projects, technologies, and investments. The Bureau also maintains a domestic market database of local raw materials suppliers, local semi-processed products suppliers, local finished products suppliers, and buyers (institutional and big buyers)

Dr. Leonila T. Baluyut

ASec Leny Baluyut is a Doctor of Business Administration, who graduated with High Distinction (Magna Cum Laude). She is a Career Executive Service Officer (CESO) who rose from the ranks. She was the former DTI Central Luzon Regional Director (the biggest region in the country with 7 provinces). ASec Leny has been a consistent academic scholar from her High School years until she finished her Bachelor in Business Administration, and Master in Business Management from the University of the Philippines.

She is a graduate of various executive & leadership discipline from the Asian Institute of Digital Transformation (Singapore); the Civil Service College of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University (Singapore). Her learning experiences include SME development, economic, trade, investment, and social development in Japan, Korea, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland. She was part of the team that crafted and promoted the Central Luzon Development Program.

ASec Leny is “The Outstanding Alumni (TOA)” year 2022 of the Angeles University Foundation. She is a two-time PAG ASA (Group) Awardee and a recipient of the DTI National SPRINTs (System on Performance Rewards & Incentives) Award.

She is a co-author of 2 published business researches entitled “Financial Performance Pre and During COVID-19 Pandemic of Listed Companies in the Philippines Stock Exchange for 2019-2020” and the “Central Luzon MSMEs Personal Entrepreneurial Competencies (PECs) in the New Normal.”

Before joining public service, Dir. Emma C. Asusano had a brief stint with the banking industry. She began her career at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), where she steadily rose through the ranks. She served as Provincial Director of DTI-NCR and later as OIC-Regional Director.

Dir. Asusano also served as Chief of Staff to former DTI Undersecretary for Regional Operations Group, Zenaida C. Maglaya, while concurrently managing key programs, namely: Negosyo Center (NC) and Integrated Natural Resources and Environmental Management Project – Livelihood Enhancement Support (INREMP-LES 2), as Program Manager and Project Director, respectively.

In April 2022, she was designated as OIC of the Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprise Development (BSMED). Her leadership and dedication led to her promotion as Director IV in September 2023.