CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-Central Luzon now has a new head following turnover ceremony on December 16.

Outgoing regional director (Ret.) Major General Marlou Salazar relegated his responsibilities to director Maria Theresa Escolano.

Prior to her new assignment, Escolano was the deputy chief of the Internal Monitoring and Evaluation Office at the OCD Central Office and acted as the head of the executive staff at the Office of the Civil Defense administrator.

Before joining the Office of Civil Defense as chief of the Human Resource Management and Development Division in 2016 and her subsequent appointment as Director I by the President of the Philippines in 2017, Escolano served as OIC-Director – IV of the administrative staff of the National Economic and Development Authority and chief of the Professional Development Division of the Career Executive Service Board.

Escolano earned her bachelor’s and graduate degrees in Public Administration from the University of the Philippines–Diliman and her master’s degree in National Security Administration from the National Defense College of the Philippines. She is a commissioned officer in the Philippine Air Force (reserve) with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

The turnover ceremony was presided by the Director of the Administrative and Financial Management Service Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV and witnessed by Ronniel Jayson Mago, chief of the OCD’s Human Resource Management and Development Division. (PR)