PH-born U.S. economist named to Vatican financial watchdog unit

Pro. Roberto Sanchez Mariano. SCREENGRAB

Pope Francis appointed Filipino American economics professor Roberto Sanchez Mariano, 78, to the board of the Supervisory and Financial Information Authority (ASIF), the Vatican’s financial intelligence and anti-money laundering unit.

Mariano is renowned for helping create econometric models that are used as planning and forecasting tools and developed from his decades of research and experience in his work for multinational institutions, central banks, government agencies and private companies throughout Asia and the United States.

Born in the Philippines and a naturalized U.S. citizen, Mariano since 1971 has been a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania, teaching economics from 1980 to 2004.

In a statement released to Vatican News, ASIF President Carmelo Barbagallo said he was “certain that Professor Mariano, an internationally renowned economist, will be able to contribute his experience and professionalism for an outstanding fulfillment of the tasks” assigned to the ASIF Board.