Lamentillo on the Philippine Government’s initiatives to address the digital divide and digital gender gap during the 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67) at the UN Headquarters Recorded March 13, 2023
Lamentillo holds a bachelor’s degree in Development Communications from the University of the Philippines-Los Banos (UPLB) where she graduated cum laude and was given a distinction, the Faculty Medal for Academic Excellence, for obtaining the highest General Weighted Average for Development Journalism Majors of her batch. She also holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman.[16]
She is an officer of the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA) with the rank of Auxiliary Commodore (one-star general),[6][7] a reservist in the Philippine Army Reserve Force with the rank of First Lieutenant,[17] and an adopted member of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) Class of 2006, Bagsay Lahi. She is also a part of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) after completing its VIP Protection Executive Training (VIPPET) in 2023.[18]
Lamentillo was born on February 7, 1991, to Ilonggo parents, Manuel Lamentillo, a native-born Ilonggo of Kinaray-a descent and his Chinese wife, Elnora Yu.[20] She was a student leader when she was in college at the UPLB. She was part of the university student council where she supported culture and arts organizations in the university and had advocacies on environment and popular culture.
She was one of the 2012 The Outstanding Students of the Philippines (TOSP) – Calabarzon recognized for their service to their schools and communities despite the demands of higher education.[21]
In 2012, she graduated from UPLB with latin honors and was recipient of the Faculty Medal for Academic Excellence for obtaining the highest General Weighted Average among the graduates of Development Journalism of her batch.[22] She pursued law as a working student and received her Juris Doctor degree from the UP Diliman College of Law in 2020.[16] In between law school and working at the DPWH, she completed her Executive Education in Economic Development at Harvard Kennedy School in 2018.[23] At present, she is pursuing the Executive MsC in Cities program at the London School of Economics.
Early career
Philippine Army Reserve Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo
Lamentillo rose from the ranks. She started working as a reporter at the age of 18 while still completing her bachelor’s degree. As part of GMA-7 News and Public Affairs, she was assigned to cover stories for the entire Region IV-Laguna.[24]
In 2012, she became part of the Senate staff of Senator Loren Legarda as legislative and communications staff before she pursued an opportunity to be part of the United Nations system through the UNDP and FAO.[25]
She joined the UNDP and FAO during its implementation of the Haiyan Emergency Response and Rehabilitation Program. She immersed in the beneficiary communities of the UN to understand their struggles and how the Agency’s help was able to support their recovery. Lamentillo documented the stories of Haiyan survivors, such as the story of Margarette Sosing, whose love for football gave her the strength to get back on her feet;[26] and Trinidad Bato-balono, who helped rebuild her family’s home and their hometown of Santa Fe through UNDP’s Cash-for-Work Program.[27]
In 2015, she accepted the offer to be part of then-Las Pinas Representative Mark Villar’s team at the House of Representatives as legislative and communications chief. She also joined Villar’s team when he was appointed Secretary for DPWH.[28]
Executive career
Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary Commodore Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo
Lamentillo served as Chairperson of the Build, Build, Build Committee in the Department of Public Works and Highways.[29]
She ensured that the reforms introduced by the Secretary, including those that were aimed at addressing problems of ghost projects, delays in implementation, and right-of-way (ROW) issues, were implemented. Among these are the adoption of drone and satellite technology in the monitoring of DPWH projects to eliminate ghost projects through the geotagging system, the Infra-Track App, which plots photos inputted into the system for monitoring in the exact geographic coordinates where they were taken.[30]
The DPWH completed a total of 29,264 kilometers of roads, 5,950 bridges,[31] 11,340 flood control projects, 222 evacuation centers, 150,149 classrooms, 133 Tatag ng Imprastraktura Para sa Kapayapaan at Seguridad (TIKAS) projects, and 739 COVID-19 facilities under the Build, Build, Build program during the administration of President Duterte, specifically between 2016 and 2021.[32] Lamentillo credits this to the 6.5 million Filipinos—construction workers, engineers, architects, and government employees—who worked on these projects.
In August 2022, she was taken in by the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. as Assistant Secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).[13] Two months later, she was promoted to Undersecretary of the Department.[12] She handled the Department’s strategic communications and media, international relations and legislative affairs. She is in charge of public-private partnership, and foreign-assisted projects, and is also the Department’s spokesperson and focal person for presidential and cabinet directives.[33]
In a bid to further digital cooperation with other nations, Lamentillo met with resident ambassadors and foreign dignitaries from Singapore,[34] Japan,[35] China, and US, as well with Spain,[36] United Kingdom,[37] Denmark,[38] Ireland,[39] Belgium,[39] Malaysia,[40] among others.
In February 2023, the Philippines assumed its role as the Chair for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Digital Senior Officials Meeting (ADGSOM) and Digital Ministers Meeting (ADGMIN) and as such, the DICT hosted the Third ADGSOM and ADGMIN held in Boracay Island with Lamentillo as Head of Delegation (HOD) for the Philippines.[41]
In March 2023, she was among the female leaders in government who represented the Philippines at the 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, US.[9] She pursued digital inclusion and gender equality while engaging in discussions with fellow UN member states and other development partners. She presented the efforts of the Philippine Government, particularly the DICT, in bridging the digital gender gap.[42]
Communication is a key component of Lamentillo’s career even as a public servant. She served as spokesperson for two national agencies—the Department of Public Works and Highways[43] and Department of Information and Communications Technology.[44]
She ranked first in the two consecutive surveys of government agency spokespersons conducted by the RP Mission and Development Foundation Inc. (RPMD) when she was DICT spokesperson. She received 88% performance rating in RPMD’s November 27 to December 2, 2022, survey;[45] and 89% in its February 25 to March 8, 2023, survey.[46]
Published works
Night Owl: A Nationbuilder's Manual
Since 2015, Lamentillo has maintained a column in the Opinion-Editorial section of the Manila Bulletin where she discusses current issues, presents in-depth analysis of various political and socio-economic national and global concerns, and features personalities whose stories can inspire others.[47] She is also a columnist of Balita, People Asia, and Esquire magazine.[13]
In December 10, 2021, Lamentillo has authored her first book, titled "Night Owl: A Nationbuilder's Manual," which shares its title with her column in the Manila Bulletin. The book delves into the Build Build Build program and the implementation of significant infrastructure projects across 18 regions in the Philippines.[48]
She provides details of major infrastructure projects, including Skyway, NLEX Connector, Metro Manila Subway, Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge across all 18 regions of the country. In the book, she lays out key information about the Philippines' Infrastructure Program, offering invaluable insights into the EDSA Decongestion Program,[49] Luzon Spine Expressway Project,[50] the Mega Bridge Masterplan, the Metro Manila Logistics Network,[51] and the Mindanao Road Development Network.[52][53][54]
The book was officially launched in 2023 in the presence of two former presidents Rodrigo Duterte and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.[57] The book has since been translated to Tagalog,[58] Bisaya,[59] Ilokano [60] and Hiligaynon.[61]
2019 Veritas Medal from the Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Association[23]
2023 People to Watch from Rising Tigers Magazine[71]
2023 Notable Female Government Leader of the Year from Asia’s Modern Hero Awards[72]
Bibliography
Books
Lamentillo, Anna Mae (December 10, 2021). Night Owl: A Nationbuilder's Manual (1sted.). Philippines: Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation. ISBN978-971-94880-8-8.
Lamentillo, Anna Mae (December 10, 2021). Night Owl: A Nationbuilder's Manual (2nded.). Philippines: Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation. ISBN978-621-96635-8-8.
Audiobooks
2022: Night Owl (Selected Excerpts) (read by the author)
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Bannawag is a Philippine weekly magazine published in the Philippines by Liwayway Publications Inc. It contains serialized novels/comics, short stories, poetry, essays, news features, entertainment news and articles, among others, that are written in Ilokano, a language common in the northern regions of the Philippines.
The Department of Transportation is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the maintenance and expansion of viable, efficient, and dependable transportation systems as effective instruments for national recovery and economic progress. It is responsible for the country's land, air, and sea communications infrastructure.
The Tarlac–Pangasinan–La Union Expressway (TPLEX), signed as E1 of the Philippine expressway network and R-8 of the Metro Manila arterial road network, is a controlled-access toll expressway that connects the Central Luzon region with the Ilocos Region. From its northern terminus at Rosario in La Union to its southern terminus at Tarlac City, the expressway has a length of 89.21-kilometer (55.43 mi), cutting through the various provinces in northern Central Luzon. Despite that the name only stating the provinces of Tarlac, Pangasinan, and La Union, the expressway also passes the province of Nueva Ecija, but without any exits.
Ramón Pereyra Jacinto, best known by his initials RJ, is a Filipino businessman, musician and radio TV personality. He previously served as Undersecretary for Government Digital Broadcast Television and the Digitization of the Entertainment Industry Sector in Department of Information and Communications Technology. He is also the founder and chairman of Philippine rock-and-roll radio station DZRJ and the Rajah Broadcasting Network.
The Cavite–Laguna Expressway, signed as E3 of the Philippine expressway network, is a partially operational controlled-access toll expressway in the provinces of Cavite and Laguna, Philippines. The construction of the 44.63-kilometer-long (27.73 mi) expressway, which began in July 2019, costs an estimated ₱35.43 billion. Once completed, it will connect the Manila–Cavite Expressway in Kawit to the South Luzon Expressway in Biñan and is expected to ease the traffic congestion in the Cavite–Laguna area, particularly along the Aguinaldo Highway, Governor's Drive, and the Santa Rosa–Tagaytay Road.
The Circumferential Road 5–Kalayaan Avenue Interchange, also known as the C-5–Kalayaan Interchange, is a road interchange in barangays West Rembo and East Rembo in Taguig, Metro Manila. Originally a regular four-way intersection between Carlos P. Garcia Avenue, a part of Circumferential Road 5 (C-5), and Kalayaan Avenue, it was fitted in 2009 with the country's first elevated U-turn slots, built in an attempt to speed up traffic along the C-5 corridor.
The Estrella–Pantaleon Bridge, also known as the Rockwell Bridge, is a four-lane box girder bridge crossing the Pasig River in Metro Manila, Philippines. It connects Estrella Street in Makati on the south bank of the Pasig River, to Pantaleon Street via Barangka Drive in Mandaluyong on the north bank, near the site of the Acqua Private Residences.
The Estrella Flyover, also known as the EDSA–Estrella Ramp and the Rockwell Flyover, is a two-lane flyover connecting Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) and Estrella Street in Makati, Metro Manila, the Philippines, facilitating access to the Rockwell Center mixed-use development. It runs along the barangay boundary of Bel-Air with Pinagkaisahan and Guadalupe Viejo.
Mark Aguilar Villar is a Filipino politician and businessman serving as a Senator since 2022. He served in President Rodrigo Duterte's cabinet as the Secretary of Public Works and Highways from 2016 to 2021, and was the COVID-19 pandemic isolation czar from 2020 to 2021. A member of the Nacionalista Party, he was the Representative of Las Piñas from 2010 to 2016. Villar has also previously held executive positions in his family's businesses.
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Karambola is a Philippine political talk radio program. It airs every weekday mornings on DWIZ in Metro Manila, and nationwide via syndication on DWIZ News FM and RPN Radyo Ronda.
Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach, commonly known as Dolomite Beach, is an artificial beach along Manila Bay in Manila, Philippines created through the process of beach nourishment. It is part of an overall integrated coastal zone management aimed at coastal defense of the Manila Bay Rehabilitation project. When completed, the beach will cover a total length of 900 meters of Manila Baywalk.
The Build! Build! Build! Infrastructure Program (BBB) was the infrastructure program of the administration of Rodrigo Duterte, the 16th president of the Philippines. A key component of his socioeconomic policy, the program aimed to reduce poverty, encourage economic growth and reduce congestion in Metro Manila, and address the country's infrastructure gap. Launched on April 18, 2017, the program also included the continuation of 44 infrastructure projects under previous administrations.
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Night Owl: A Nationbuilder's Manual is a 2021 memoir authored by former Build Build Build Committee Chairperson Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo, providing a narrative of the Philippines' infrastructure policy from 2016 to 2022.
↑ Lamentillo, Anna Mae Yu (December 10, 2021). Night Owl: A Nationbuilder's Manual (1sted.). Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation. p.380. ISBN9789719488088.
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