Cornelio Balmaceda

Who is Cornelio Balmaceda?

Cornelio Balmaceda was a former Secretary of Commerce and Industries in the Philippines. He was also one of the original board of trustees and then later became president of the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement.

Cornelio Balmaceda, born Cornelio Agor Balmaceda, was born in Sarrat, Ilocos Norte on September 14, 1896.

Known for his notable achievements in Philippine government, particularly the creation of the Department of Commerce and Industry and his leadership in the establishment of the Asian Development Bank in the Philippines, Commerce Secretary Cornelio Balmaceda was also a writer and a journalist. Leaving the farmlands of Sarrat, Ilocos Norte where he grew up, he began a career that made him one of the country’s distinguished economists and a respected statesman among Asian countries. He was a brilliant man but a humble one, who placed service to his country above personal glory. Early Life and Schooling

Cornelio Balmaceda was born on September 15, 1896 in Sarrat, Ilocos Norte. The son of farmers, Santos Balmaceda and Crispina Agor, he became the only child after his four siblings died in infancy.