Alzona named new NPC executive director

MANILA – Malacañang has appointed lawyer Ivin Ronald Alzona as the new executive director of the National Privacy Commission (NPC).

In a statement on Thursday, the NPC said Alzona’s appointment was effective beginning April 1 but he took his oath as executive director before Commissioner Raymund Liboro on April 8.

It added that Alzona, a former assistant secretary at the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), will help the commission continue its digital transformation in the regulation of data privacy through his experience in handling management and operations of the DICT since 2018.

Photos: DICT Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr. administered the oath of office to Atty. Ivin Ronald Alzona, the newly appointed Assistant Secretary for Administration of the Department. pic.twitter.com/SQuTXa8sp0

— Department of ICT PH (@DICTgovph) September 26, 2018

Alzona also aims to unify policy and technology through the formulation of a data policy framework that “recognizes enabling and convergent information and communications technologies (ICT)” such as artificial intelligence, Big Data, Blockchain, and the Internet of Things.

He is also set to promote best practices in data protection among personal information controllers, especially on encouraging heavy investment in privacy programs to avoid “costly or catastrophic” data breaches.

“His experience as part of DICT’s top management will be a valuable contribution to the fairly young agency. He strongly believes in consensus-building in an organization,” the NPC said.

During his tenure at the DICT, Alzona served in various capacities such as assistant secretary for management and operations, officer-in-charge-undersecretary for regional operations and countryside and ICT industry development, assistant secretary for administration, and assistant secretary for national broadband backbone and free Wi-Fi/internet access in public places.

Alzona obtained his law degree from the San Beda University-Manila in 2010, where he also graduated with a degree in business management and entrepreneurship with academic distinction.

He passed the Bar examinations in 2011.