CARMENCITA DE GUZMAN ARCE

CARMENCITA DE GUZMAN ARCE

In 2002, the Municipality of Bayambang awarded Carmencita De Guzman Arce as the Most Outstanding Bayambangueño in the field of Commerce and Industry. This recognition was well deserved, as Mrs. Arce held various prestigious positions in the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), where she was employed. A consistent valedictorian in both her elementary and secondary education, she entered the University of the Philippines Diliman as an entrance scholar and earned her Bachelor of Science in Statistics degree in 1971. Ms. Arce joined the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), an association of industrialists and traders, as an Economic Researcher in 1978. She was eventually promoted to Secretary General of the organization in 1998. During her tenure as Secretary General of PCCI, she concurrently held various positions in ASEAN Chambers of Commerce and Industry. She served as Executive Director of the Philippine ASEAN Council (1987–1994) and later as Executive Director of the ASEAN CCI in 1989. She was also Editor-in-Chief of PCCI’s Philippine Business magazine. After years of service at PCCI, Mrs. Arce resigned in 1997 to pursue a career in public relations. She joined GMA Network, Inc. as Vice President for Corporate Affairs, where she handled corporate communications and investor relations. She also managed publications, media relations, corporate advertising, and special events. Among her projects, two received prestigious Anvil Awards: the Anvil Award of Merit for GMA’s 50th Anniversary in 2001 and the Anvil Award for Excellence for GMA Gold, a coffee table book commemorating GMA’s 50 years of history. Her projects also received recognition from the IABC Philippine Quill Awards. In 1999, she was appointed Consultant and Chief of Staff to Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Jose T. Pardo. When Secretary Pardo was later designated as Secretary of Finance, she continued to serve as Consultant in charge of the Department of Finance’s media relations. Mrs. Arce served as President of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Philippine Chapter in 2011 and was also a Board Member and Secretary of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines. She is among the few conferred with APR (Accredited in Public Relations) by the organization. At present, Ms. Arce is the Vice President of the Philippine Business Center, Inc., an affiliate of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Concurrently, she serves as Executive Director of the Foundation for Crime Prevention.