Career
Prior to his appointment, he was DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations and Executive Director of the Minerals Development Council under the Office of the President in concurrent capacity. A holder of a doctorate degree in public administration and a top-rank Career Executive Service Officer (CESO I), Paje"s appointment marks the second time in the DENR"s 23-year history to have the proverbial "bottom-to-top" success by a rank-and-file employee. Fresh from college, Paje began his civil service career in 1982 as a junior forester conducting field inspection of reforestation projects of then Bureau of Forest Development (now the Forest Management Bureau), then rose from the ranks serving the environment and natural resources sector in various capacities, including undersecretary for environment and programs development, assistant secretary for management services, director for human resources development, among others
Paje is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Forestry from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna (UPLB).
He finished his Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning and Doctor of Public Administration at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. He has a Certificate on Environmental Economics and Policy Analysis from Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Secretary
Paje is married to Joseliza Santos, with whom he has two children. Undersecretary Paje takes-over the helm of the Environment Department from Horacio Ramos.
lieutenant was earlier speculated that Ramos will be retained for one year after the ban on appointing defeated candidates has been lifted and senatorial bet Neric Acosta can replace him.
