Vivian Sulit Santos was born on May 26, 1963, in Baliuag, Bulacan. She is a seasoned public servant and ecozone operations leader with a strong academic foundation, holding a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, complemented by various local and international trainings related to her profession.
Vivian began her career with the then Export Processing Zone Authority (EPZA), now the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), in 1984. Over the past 29 years, she has steadily risen through the ranks, dedicating her career to ecozone and enterprise operations. In 2022, she was appointed as the PEZA Deputy Director General for Operations.
With more than 29 years of experience in strategy, digital innovation, and organizational transformation, Vivian has been instrumental in driving PEZA’s major automation initiatives. She played a key role in conceptualizing and implementing the Electronic Import Permit System (EIPS), Automated Export Documentation System (AEDS), and Electronic Zone Transfer System (EZTS). These groundbreaking systems transformed manual permit issuance into a fully automated process, significantly enhancing transparency, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness in doing business within PEZA ecozones. For these contributions, she has earned widespread recognition as the agency’s “electronic permit czar.”
Beyond ecozone operations, Vivian actively collaborates with various Trade Regulatory Government Agencies (TRGAs) in implementing programs affecting RBEs. She is a pioneer member of the Technical Working Group (TWG) on the Strategic Trade Management Office (STMO) and several other inter-agency TWGs. She also represents PEZA in numerous local and international forums, roundtable discussions, and high-level events.
Vivian’s extensive contributions reflect her enduring commitment to strengthening ecozone competitiveness, fostering investor confidence, and advancing the ease of doing business in the Philippines.