Virata helped shape national economic policy through senior government roles that included prime minister, finance minister, Board of Investments chair and Monetary Board member.
He also represented the Philippines at the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and International Fund for Agricultural Development, later chairing major governing bodies at the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and ADB.
Three decades with RCBC
Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. announced his passing after nearly 31 years on its board.
It is with deep sorrow that the bank announces the passing of Mr. Cesar E.A. Virata, our corporate vice chairperson/eirector, today, October 2, 2026,” the Yuchengco-led lender said in a stock exchange filing on Friday.
Virata had served as an RCBC director since 1995, corporate vice chair since July 2000 and senior adviser since 2007.
Corporate career
His corporate career extended across banking, insurance, education, property and infrastructure, with board or advisory roles in Malayan Insurance, Lopez Holdings, BusinessWorld Publishing and several Yuchengco Group companies.
Before entering government, Virata was a professor and dean of the University of the Philippines College of Business Administration and a principal at SGV’s management services division.
He earned degrees in mechanical engineering and business administration, cum laude, from UP and completed an MBA in industrial management at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
—Edited by Miguel R. Camus
