Undersecretary (Competitiveness and Innovation Group)
Department of Trade and Industry, Philippines

Dr. Rafaelita "Fita" M. Aldaba is Undersecretary for the Competitiveness and Innovation Group of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). She is responsible for the formulation and implementation of the Inclusive Innovation Industrial Strategy (i3S) and is also a Governor of the Philippine Board of Investments (BOI). She leads DTI's initiatives in preparing industries for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and digital transformation, establishing Regional Inclusive Innovation Centers (RIICs), developing new creative industries, and growing a startup ecosystem. She oversees the administration and operations of the Competitiveness Bureau (CB), Philippine Accreditation Bureau (PAB) and Bureau of Trade and Industrial Policy Research (BTIPR). Aldaba was Senior Research Fellow and Acting Vice-President of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) prior to her previous appointment as Assistant Secretary of DTI's Industry Development and Trade Policy Group (IDTPG).