• Source: Ken Abante

Kenneth "Ken" Isaiah Ibasco Abante is a Filipino public policy expert, civil society leader, and government reformist. He serves as the president of WeSolve Foundation and is known for his work as an advisor and former coordinator (2020-2023) of the Move As One Coalition.




Early life and education


Abante graduated from Ateneo de Manila University in 2012 as class valedictorian and program awardee of the Bachelor of Science degree in management engineering program, with a minor in philosophy. He later pursued his Master of Public Administration with a focus on international development at Harvard University.




Career and public service






= Department of Finance

=
As Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary Cesar Purisima, Abante managed various reform initiatives including:
- The passage of the sin tax reform law
- Customs reform
- Local finance professionalization
- Establishment of the Fiscal Intelligence Unit
- Work on the public-private partnership bill
In 2023, Abante continued to advocate for sin tax reform, arguing that the government still has room to increase these taxes.




= Civil society leadership

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Abante currently serves as the president of WeSolve Foundation, where he works on improving governance and civic participation in the Philippines. In 2024, as part of his continued work in transportation policy, he expressed concerns about jeepney consolidation, noting that cooperatives "need proper training in fleet management, and they need good governance and financing."




Policy research and advocacy


Abante has been involved in various policy research initiatives and public discussions. In 2021, he conducted research on the Pharmally controversy and was a vocal critic of the proposed Pasig River Expressway project, stating that it "is a problem, not a solution" due to its potential irreversible environmental impacts.
He has also contributed to the analysis of COVID-19 aid distribution systems and their implementation.




Awards and recognition


In 2023, Abante received The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) award. He was also awarded the UP PEJA Fellowship Award for his work on "Empowering Citizens to Participate in Improving Education Governance in the Philippines" (with Riz Supreme B Comia of WeSolve Foundation).




Legacy of mentorship


Following the death of former president Benigno Aquino III, Abante reflected on the impact of leadership in public service, stating "Ang pakiramdam ko: Nawalan ako ng guro. Gurong nagturo sa aking maging mabusisi sa pera ng bayan. Gurong nagturo sa aking maglingkod nang tapat" (Translation: "I feel like I lost a teacher. A teacher who taught me to be meticulous with public funds. A teacher who taught me to serve honestly.")




Early writing


In 2012, Abante wrote a notable letter of gratitude to parents who dream with their children, published in Rappler.




References






External links

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