Alberto David Lina

Alberto "Bert” D. Lina is the epitome of the Filipino Dream. Through grit, a relentless work ethic and a vision to serve his country, Bert has blazed a path from his humble beginnings to extraordinary achievements in business, philanthropy, and government.

The second son of twelve children, he strove to support his family as a young boy by selling pineapples and helping his mother with their “tindahan”. He excelled academically and was the valedictorian of his class in both grade school and high school. He graduated from the Philippine School of Business Administration, became a Certified Public Accountant and worked at LC Diaz, now know as Diaz Murillo and Dalupan, an auditing firm, while teaching at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.

Being exposed to clients in freight forwarding gave Bert the inspiration and opportunity to switch paths from being an auditor to becoming an entrepreneur. Αs fate would have it, an unfortunate incident of getting fired from his job would be the catalyst for Bert, and his wife Sylvia, to establish Airfreight 2100 Inc., now AIR21, one of the country's top logistics companies.

A serial entrepreneur, Bert has parlayed his success into building a formidable group of companies, with interests in warehousing, customs brokerage, waste management, business process outsourcing, and mass transit, among many others.

Bert's deep love of country has motivated him to champion a myriad of causes and institutions. From supporting basketball and cycling, to music and the performing arts, to the environment, the veterans, and the Church, Bert continues to share his blessings and passionately advocates for the wellbeing of every Filipino.

When the honor to serve the country presented itself, Bert embraced it wholeheartedly, serving as Commissioner of Customs in 2005 under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and again in 2015 under President Benigno Aquino III.

An avid golfer, Bert has four holes-in-one and carries a 15 handicap. With his booming baritone voice, he is known to serenade his wife with his trademark Johnny Mathis song, "All The Time."

Bert considers his family as his greatest achievement. He has been happily married to Sylvia for 49 years, has raised four daughters and is blessed with four grandchildren. He truly cherishes the quality time he gets to spend with them.

With gratitude for the many blessings he has received, Bert is deeply committed to continue forward wherever God may lead him to on his path of service.