Rex Gatchalian, is a Filipino politician who is currently serving as the 26th Mayor of the Valenzuela, Philippines. Prior to his assumption to the mayoralty, he served as the representative of the first district of Valenzuela to the House of Representatives of the Philippines. Gatchalian's siblings include politicians Win Gatchalian, and Wes Gatchalian.
Early life
Gatchalian was born January 21, 1979 and graduated Cum Laude in 2001 from the George Washington University in Washington D.C., United States, with a bachelor's degree political science, with secondary fields of study in marketing and psychology. In 2005, at the age of 26, he was elected president of Waterfront Hotels and Casinos, the country's largest Filipino-owned first class hotel operator. He chose instead chose to run for public office.
Political career
Representative for the 14th and 15th Congress
In the 2007 elections, Gatchalian was elected from the 1st District of Valenzuela City as Representative for the 14th Congress of the Republic of the Philippines, making him one of the youngest legislators. As Vice-Chairman for the Congressional Committee for Overseas Workers’ Affairs, he authored Republic Act 10022, also known as An Act Amending R.A. 8042, otherwise known as the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995. The law mandates new policies for the further protection and genuine representation of migrant workers. He is also one of the principal authors of Republic Act No. 9576, or the law that doubles the maximum deposit insurance coverage by the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation from P250,000 to P500,000. It was also during his first term as Representative that he was elected as National Spokesperson for the political party Nationalist People's Coalition. In the national elections of May 2010, Gatchalian was re-elected as Representative of the 1st District of Valenzuela for the 15th Congress with the largest electoral margin in the district's history. At the age of 31, he became the youngest member of the Commission on Appointments in history, and the only Congressional Representation from the City of Valenzuela to be a member. He also served as the Senior Vice-Chairman for the Congressional Committee on Games & Amusements.
Gatchalian was elected chief executive of Valenzuela City during the May 2013 midterm elections. His public service platform, better known as the “Five Pillars of Good Governance,” focused on the essential needs of his constituents: Education, Health and Social Services, Housing, Job Generation, and Trade and Industry. He oversaw the creation of 48 barangay health stations city-wide and the 14 Sentro ng Sama-Samang Serbisyo or 3S Centers as well as the ALERT Center, the Valenzuela City's Peoples Park, and the Valenzuela School of Mathematics and Science.
Programs
Other programs developed under the term include:
3S Plus Electronic Terminal - the Philippines’ first electronic building permit application system
Bantay Estudyante – the first senior citizen-force multiplier group that protects the safety of children who walk their way to public schools
Bantay Ilog – the first local flood control arm that safeguards the city' rivers and creeks from pollutants
Barangay-Based Feeding Program – the local government's free supply of nutritious, ready-to-cook food for malnourished children aged six months to five years, provided that their parents regularly bring them to the barangay health station for weighing, check-up and vaccination
Kitchen-on-Wheels – the mobile kitchen used by the City Social Welfare and Development Office to immediately transport meals for typhoon victims or disaster-stricken communities
Women's Wellness Clinic, Mobile Medical and Dental Clinics, and Mobile Botika – the city government's mobile health facilities for medical missions and rescue operations
VPOW or Valenzuela Police-on-Wheels - the first mobile police precinct in the country
After completing his projects for the 5 Pillars, Gatchalian's second wave of undertakings focused on transforming Valenzuela City into a more liveable one. His notion of a liveable city essentially implies the presence of a leveled up infrastructure network and integrated sound protocols on logistics and management that will enable the city to respond to disasters and other challenges - hence, the birth of the ALERT Center. The ALERT Center is the brain of the disaster preparedness and response of the city, and the roof of the Valenzuela City Disaster Preparedness Office, the new Central Fire Station, Red Cross Volunteer Center, the Valenzuela City Command and Coordinating Center, and the VC Tent. In 2014, Gatchalian started inaugurating the 3S Centers or the Sentro ng Sama-samang Serbisyo. The ‘little city halls’ house the fundamental satellite offices of the local government, such as the barangay health stations, fire substations, Serbisyo Centers, and many more. On February 14, 2015, the city's 17th Charter Day, Valenzuelanos’ much awaited Valenzuela City People's Park was officially opened to the public.
Achievements
Valenzuela City earned several citations under the Gatchalian's leadership. The citations profess the city's economic accountability, liveability and disaster preparedness, outstanding employment and micro-entrepreneurship development programs, timely health and social protection policies, and sound implementation of peace and order advocacies.
