DESIGNERS OF DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS
Danilo A. Songco
Board Member
Profession: Social Entrepreneur, Development Finance Specialist, Consultant
Mr. Songco is a seasoned development practitioner with over three decades of experience spanning civil society, government, and international development work. His career reflects a strong focus on enterprise development, development finance, and the design of sustainable solutions to complex social and economic challenges. In recent years, he has been actively engaged as a social entrepreneur and development finance specialist, with particular expertise in micro, small, and agroenterprise development.
Mr. Songco has held senior leadership roles in key institutions. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the PinoyME Foundation, a rural enterprise incubator that supports small farmers in becoming commercially viable through value-chain approaches and innovative financial and non-financial services. Earlier, he led the Caucus of Development NGO Networks (CODE-NGO), the largest coalition of development NGOs in the Philippines, where he directed strategic programs and oversaw operations. He also played a central role in mobilizing resources, including leading a team that raised approximately USD 25 million for an endowment fund through an innovative capital market transaction.
His governance and policy experience extends to both public and private sectors. Mr. Songco has served as Director of the Development Bank of the Philippines and currently sits as Director of Brain Trust, Inc. He has also held leadership roles in civil society governance, including Chair and Vice-Chair of the Philippine Council for NGO Certification, and membership in international bodies such as the International Council for Non-Profit Law and Accountable Now’s Independent Review Panel.
Mr. Songco has worked extensively with major international development institutions, including the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, JICA, USAID, and UNDP, among others. His consulting engagements have covered areas such as social protection, community-driven development, food security, and enterprise and value chain development. He has contributed to the design of livelihood programs, policy frameworks, and development strategies in the Philippines and internationally.
He holds a Master in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School as an Edward S. Mason Fellow, and has academic training in Strategic Business Economics and Business Administration. His work is grounded in a strong commitment to collaboration, resource mobilization, and institutional strengthening to achieve inclusive and sustainable development outcomes.
