Ms. Zenaida Cuison Maglaya started her career in government as a Medium and Small Scale Industries Coordinated Action Program or MASICAP Scholar under the then Ministry of Industry, where she was assigned in Northern Mindanao and Eastern Visayas; assisting small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) in preparing project flexibility studies to enable them to borrow money from the bank.

In 1987, she was appointed as the Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion (BDTP) Director, rationalized the conduct of trade fairs to better serve the marketing needs of SMEs, and mounted the first National Trade Fair (NTF).

In 2002, while she was Assistant Secretary for the ROG, she was appointed as the Project Manager for the One Town, One Product (OTOP) Project. She then became Undersecretary for Consumer Welfare and Business Regulation (CWBRG), where she spearheaded the setting up of DTI Direct, the Department’s quick response mechanism for Pinoy entrepreneurs and consumers; and the DTI Bagwis Awards, giving due recognition to establishments that uphold fair and honest business practices and champions the rights of consumers.

Jointly with the Department of Education (DepEd), she supported the integration of fair trade and consumer laws in the curricula of secondary and alternative learning education.

She is currently the Undersecretary for ROG, supervising 17 regional offices nationwide. As the Department’s implementing arm to achieve inclusive growth, ROG is guided by DTI’s two-pronged mandate: enabling business and empowering consumers.