GovMedia Summit - Philippines - February 4, 2027

Atty. Ernesto V. Perez, CPA is the Director General, with the rank of Secretary, of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), an agency attached to the Office of the President created by Republic Act (RA) No. 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, which amended RA 9485 or the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007.

Director General Perez took his oath of office and assumed as head of ARTA on 14 November 2022. He was also the first appointed official (Deputy Director General) of ARTA in 2018 and spearheaded the operationalization of the agency and the development of its major initiatives.

Prior to ARTA, he was the Assistant Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Consumer Protection Group. He served in a concurrent capacity as OIC-Director of the Bureau of Philippine Standards where he promulgated the development of 108 new standards and revision of 151 Philippine National Standards aligned with the international standards of ISO/IEC and good regulatory practices of the World Trade Organization. He likewise served as Chairperson of the DTI-Steel Task Force where he led the investigation of the biggest steel importation in the country.

Director General Perez was a litigation lawyer for almost thirty (30) years prior to joining government service. He obtained his law degree from the Ateneo Law School and was among the top 15 in the 1986 bar exams. He acquired his Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration Major in Accountancy from the University of the Philippines Visayas in 1980 and passed the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Board examination in the same year.

In recognition of his wide-ranging contributions to the Ease of Doing Business, Director General Perez has received numerous prestigious awards. For his invaluable work in the telecommunications sector, he was honored by Globe Telecom as a Connectivity Champion and by GCash with the Excellence Award for Digital Financial Empowerment.

His commitment to government efficiency has also been widely recognized. BizNews Asia presented him with the Management Excellence Award for his efforts in cutting red tape and streamlining business permits, and he was also celebrated at Asia's Pinnacle Awards for Outstanding Leadership in Anti-Red Tape Initiatives.

For his dedication to transformational leadership and government efficiency, the University of the Philippines Alumni Association named him a 2025 UPAA Distinguished Alumnus for Good Governance.