PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday administered the oath of office to Acting Communications Secretary Dave Gomez, saying he expects him to fulfill his mandate of keeping the public well informed about the government.
“Congratulations to Acting PCO Secretary Dave Gomez. With his long experience in media and public service, I know he will keep the public well-informed and the government well-heard,” the President said in a social media post.
Gomez, who initially took his oath before Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin last Friday, previously served as director general of the Philippine Information Agency, communications director at PMFTC Inc. – the local affiliate of cigarette firm Philip Morris International (PMI), and was a former journalist of the Philippine Star.
In an interview, Gomez laid out his communications plans as head of the PCO, which gives priority to “communicate the programs and the policies of the president, promote press freedom and the digital transformation of the PCO.”
He said the PCO’s campaign against fake news would also be sustained.
“Fake news is doing a lot of disservice to the Filipino people. We need to correct the misinformation and just present the facts as it is to the people,” he added.
Gomez also reiterated that his strategy would be anchored on what he called “3Ps Minus One” or “Programs, Policies minus Politics.”
“My role as PCO Secretary will be to communicate and socialize the programs and policies of the President, minus the politics. This is what I call my 3Ps Minus One. Programs, Policies minus Politics,” he said.
GARIN TAKES OATH
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin yesterday took her oath of office before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Malacañang.
Garin, who was initially named as officer-in-charge of the DOE before her appointment, succeeded Raphael Lotilla, who was appointed as Environment Secretary following the “recalibration” of the Marcos administration.
“Secretary Sharon Garin’s experience in legislation and energy policy will help us deliver more reliable, affordable, and cleaner energy for every Filipino under Bagong Pilipinas,” the President said in a social media post after the oathtaking.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro described Garin as a lawyer and Certified Public Accountant with extensive public service experience, “having served as a multi-term Iloilo representative and DOE undersecretary, with a strong background in energy policy and legislation to advance accessible, reliable, and sustainable energy for our people.”
Before she was appointed OIC, she had been an undersecretary of the DOE since 2022.
Garin previously represented the AAMBIS-Owa Partylist in the House of Representatives from 2010 to 2022. During her tenure as a lawmaker, she served as deputy speaker from 2016 to 2019, chaired the House Committee on Economic Affairs from 2019 to 2020, and again chaired the committee from 2021 to 2022.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management (Accounting) from the University of the Philippines – Iloilo; a Juris Doctor from the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law; and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from ESADE Business School in Spain.
