Paterno, Vicente T.
HS 1941
DECEASED
1972
DLSAA Distinguished Lasallian Awardee
1977
DLSAA Distinguished Lasallian Awardee
The rare example of a high government official who could not stand the graft and corruption in government service is VICENTE T. PATERNO (HS '41). He quit as Minister of Public Highways in 1980 because "it was a systematic malady." And when KBL party moguls attacked him for speaking on the need to discuss issues underlying national reconciliation, he resigned from his elected post as a member of the interim Batasan, or parliament, and from the KBL. "Ting" was born in Manila in 1923 and graduated from La Salle just before the Second World War. He took his BSC in Mechanical Engineering at the University of the Philippines seven years later, and in 1953 earned a Master's degree in business administration with distinction from Harvard University. Paterno first worked as an assistant mill engineer at the Central Azucarera Don Pedro in Nasugbu, Batangas, from 1948 to 1951, passed the government examination for mechanical engineers in 1953, and then left for Harvard to take his MBA. In 1956 he was appointed a consultant in industrial engineering (and later general manager) of PHINMA or the Philippine Investment Management Consultants, Inc. He was the vicepresident for investments of the Commercial Credit Corp. from 1962•to 1964. For the next six years he worked for the MERALCO (Manila Electric Company) as treasurer and later vice-president. Recognizing Paterno's merits, President Marcos appointed him chairman of the Board of Investments and Secretary of Industry. When he found out that his new ideas and fresh perspectives in handling trade and industry did not meet with the approval of the higher-ups, he resigned. But the President, knowing his value, would not let him go, and appointed him Minister of Public Highways in 1979. After 17 months he quit in disgust when he found that the ministry was also shot through with graft — and he could do nothing about it. He left government service rather.than be tainted with the same brush of corruption. For the next two years Paterno acted as an industrial consultant. In 1983 he became president of the Canlubang Sugar Estate for seven months. He is now managing director of the Overseas Technology Development Corp., chairman of the board of four firms, and a director of half a dozen other companies.