Jesli Lapus


Jesli Lapus is a former Congressman of Tarlac, former Secretary of Education and uncle of President Benigno Aquino III.

Early life and education

Jesli Aquino-Lapus was born on September 12, 1949 in Tarlac City. He attended the Little Flower Academy in Tarlac for his elementary and secondary education. In 1969, he earned a BS in accountancy from the Philippine School of Business Administration / St. Louis University in Baguio, finishing college in three years and subsequently passing the accountancy board exams. He obtained a Masters in Business Management from the Asian Institute of Management, graduating in 1973. In 1998, Lapus was conferred a doctorate in public administration by the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
Lapus also attended several post-graduate studies:

Private sector

The management career of Lapus started at a very young age. This earned for him the title, “Management Whiz Kid in the ASEAN,” given by Asian Finance international magazine. At 20, he worked as an auditor and consultant at SyCip, Gorres, Velayo & Company. He then became the chief financial officer of the Ramcar Group of Companies at age 23. From 1979 to 1986, Lapus worked as managing director and chief operating officer of Triumph International, Inc. He also worked in the banking sector, serving as director of Union Bank of the Philippines from 1988 to 1992.
Lapus was among the original core faculty members of AIM's Masters in Development Management program and has taught at the Ateneo de Manila University and Maryknoll College. He has also conducted executive training courses in Indonesia and Malaysia.
Lapus has served in the cabinets of three Philippine Presidents. From 1987 to 1989, he served as undersecretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform under the administration of President Corazon C. Aquino. He established the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Fund and the Support Services Sector of DAR.
During the administration of President Fidel V. Ramos, Lapus served as president, chief executive officer, and vice chairman of the board of directors of Land Bank of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998.
Under the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Lapus was appointed Secretary of Education in 2006. In 2010, Lapus became the Secretary of Trade and Industry.