Message from the Department of Finance
Friends, family, colleagues, and fellow public servants all received the news of Director Joselito Almario’s passing with sadness as a capable member of our DOF Family has moved on. As we gather to mark the deep loss of an esteemed public servant, we remember a man whose life was dedicated to financial inclusion–both microfinance and microinsurance–his job at the DOF being his first and last.
Itoy, as he is fondly called by many, has served the most vulnerable in our society with brilliance, relentlessness, and commitment. The road ahead for financial inclusion is now smoother for future generations to traverse, if only because Itoy had treaded the most difficult paths.
In the words of many of his colleagues and fellow advocates, Itoy is “the grandfather of microinsurance in the Philippines.” Before microinsurance was even introduced in the Philippines, he already broke ground for microinsurance to thrive and flourish in a country seeking to provide access to finance and insurance to the farthest margins.
Having served government for more than 30 years, he has led a simple life full of love with family and friends, which ought to be celebrated above all. One’s life is measured by the legacy one leaves behind: Itoy lives on in the millions of lives he continues to touch with every corner of the country having access to microinsurance and microfinance. With great fondness and a profound sense of loss, the Department of Finance enjoins his family in spirit for a solemn celebration of Director Joselito Almario’s life.
