USEC Tungpalan had a distinguished career with extensive experience in economic planning and policy. He served as Undersecretary for Investment Programming from 2007 to 2020, where he showcased his leadership in shaping economic strategies and policies. His career at the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) began in 1976 as an Economic Researcher, and he progressively took on roles of greater responsibility, including Deputy Director General, Assistant Director General, and Director.

In addition to his work at NEDA, USEC Tungpalan contributed to various key initiatives and organizations, including the Natural Resources Development Corporation (NRDC) and the Inter-Agency Committee for Right-of-Way Activities for National Railway Projects. He was actively involved in the NEDA Interagency Technical Working Group on Active Transport (IATWG-AT), the Steering Committee of the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC), and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Steering Committee of the Startup Venture Fund (SVF).

USEC Tungpalan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of the Philippines Diliman. He continued his expertise in Operations Research at the Technical University of Denmark and Economic Research at the Center for Research and Communications in Pasig City.