Born to Juan Cabreros Laya,noted author and Silvina del Carmen,an educator who were the founders of the Philippine publishing house,Kayumanggi Press. In 1956,Laya joined the Pan Xenia Fraternity and a year later,he graduated magna cum laude with a degree in business administration from the University of the Philippines Diliman. Later,he took up a master's degree in industrial management from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He did his graduate studies in finance at the Stanford Graduate School of Business of Stanford University from which he graduated with a doctoral degree in 1965.
Laya started off teaching accounting,economics,and management courses at UP after his graduation in 1957. At the age of 18,he placed eighth in the 1957 CPA examination. Laya served numerous positions in different government agencies. He rose to the rank of professor of accounting and director of graduate studies at the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Business Administration (present-day the Cesar E.A. Virata School of Business) and subsequently became its dean from 1968 to 1975,succeeding Cesar E.A. Virata who later served as Prime Minister during the Marcos dictatorship. In 1966,as an assistant professor,Laya became the inaugural recipient of the IBM Philippines Chair in Business Administration of the UP College of Business Administration,which was sponsored by IBM Philippines and the Ford Foundation.[4]
Laya was later appointed as the 5th Governor of the Central Bank of the Philippines from 1981 to 1984 and was the Minister of Education,Culture and Sports from 1984 to 1986. Whilst helming as Governor of the Central Bank from 1981 until 1984,Laya initiated the purchase of important works of Philippine art and significant pieces of pre-Hispanic ancestral gold in the Philippines. These works are part of the permanent collection of the Museo ng Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.[5]
Following his retirement from public office in 1986,Laya proceeded to found the accounting firm,J.C. Laya and Co.,Ltd.,subsequently renamed Laya,Mananghaya and Co. (now known as KPMG Philippines),where he acted as chairman until his retirement in 2004. In 2003,he assumed the roles of chairman and president of the Association of Certified Public Accountants in Public Practice (ACPAPP) and,in 2004,of ACAPP Foundation,Inc.[6]
He was previously the chairman of the publicly listed Philtrust Bank,CIBI Information,Inc.,Dual Tech Foundation,Inc and Don Norberto Ty Foundation. Laya serves as Director for Victorias Milling Company,Inc.,Philippine AXA Life Insurance Company,Manila Polo Club and GMA Network,Inc.,the Philippine Ratings Services Corporation,the Philippines-Mexico Business Council,and the Philippines-Spain Business Council.
Cultural administrator and writer
Action Officer of the Intramuros Administration (1979–1986)
In 1979,President Ferdinand Marcos appointed Laya to be the first Action Officer of the Intramuros Administration (IA),a government agency tasked with orderly restoring,administering,and developing the historic walled area of Intramuros,including the fortifications of the Baluarte de San Diego and the Gates of Intramuros. During his tenure,he led the acquisition of various ecclesiastical and decorative arts collections for the IA,forming the basis of the present collections at the Museo de Intramuros and Casa Manila. Furthermore,as the Action Officer,he spearheaded the publication of numerous monographs on the history of Intramuros and Philippine arts and culture.[7]
Chairman of the National Commission of Culture and Arts (1996–2001)
In 1996,President Fidel Ramos appointed Laya to helm as the Chairman of the National Commission of Culture and Arts (NCCA),where he initiated projects and programs in the promotion of Philippine arts both domestically and overseas.[8]
Trustee of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (2010–2022)
In 2010,President Benigno Aquino III appointed Laya as one of the board of trustees of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). It was during his term as trustee that CCP held the controversial Kulo exhibition with the installation art piece titled Poleteismo by Philippine contemporary artist Mideo Cruz,which was largely criticized by the largely Roman Catholic Philippine population. Laya,along with the rest of the CCP Board,faced criminal complaints before the Ombudsman. The complaints were dismissed for lack of merit in 2013.[9]
Chairman of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (2022–present)
In 2022,President Bongbong Marcos appointed Laya to be the Chairman of the Cultural Center of the Philippines with the primary task of overseeing the renovation of the Tanghalang Pambansa,with plans to reopen the building by 2025. Consequently,Laya is one of two former officials from the previous martial law period to join the Marcos Jr. administration,the other being Juan Ponce Enrile.[10][2]
Writings
Wala Lang column
Laya has authored numerous books and other publications comprising compilations of his various essays and writings on Philippine history,arts,and culture. The majority of his published works have centered on Intramuros,where he collaborated with Esperanza Gatbonton on Intramuros of Memory released in 1983 and subsequently reissued in 2011. He has also delved into the realm of Philippine architecture,co-authoring Philippine Heritage Homes:A Guidebook in 2014 with antiquarian Sonny Tinio and architect Maria Cristina Turalba. Presently,Laya contributes a column titled Wala Lang to the Manila Bulletin,dedicated to his reflections on Philippine art,culture,and politics.[11]
Tanáw:Perspectives on the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Painting Collection (2005) (co-authored with Cid Reyes,Alice Guillermo,Ma. Victoria Herrera,Fatima J. Lasay and edited by Ramon E.S. Lerma)
Potlock Hidalgo Bonding:A Family Heritage Cookbook (2006) (co-edited with Adelaida Lim)
Herencia - A Legacy of Art and Progress:The Bank of the Philippine Islands Collection (2008) (co-authored with Cid Reyes,Alice Guillermo,Ma. Victoria Herrera,Nicanor G. Tiongson and edited by Ramon N. Villegas)
Hidden Treasures:Simple Pleasures (2008) (co-authored with Mariano C. Lao and Edilberto B. Bravo)
Santa Ana Church:A Historical Guide (2008)
Wala Lang:500-Word Articles on Philippine Life &Culture (2012)
Philippine Heritage Homes:A Guidebook (2014) (co-authored with Martin I. Tinio,Jr. and Ma. Cristina V. Turalba)
Wala Lang II:500-Word Articles on Philippine Life &Culture (2015)
Wala Lang III:500-Word Articles on Philippine Life &Culture (2018)
↑"Laya Given IBM Professorial Chair". Philippine Review of Economics. 3 (1). University of the Philippines-Diliman. 1966. Retrieved June 27, 2025.
↑Villegas, Ramon N. (2017), Likha – Enduring Legacies of Filipino Artistry: The Decorative Arts Collection of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Manila: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, ISBN9789719408598
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