(UPDATED) - President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed Davao City First District Representative Karlo Alexei Nograles as the new Cabinet secretary, Malacañang announced on Monday, November 5.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, in a briefing with Palace reporters, said Duterte picked Nograles as the next Cabinet Secretary "as early as two weeks ago."
Nograles will take his oath as the new Cabinet Secretary on Monday afternoon at the Malacañan Palace, Panelo said.
"Former congressman Karlo Nograles will be taking his oath of office this afternoon as Cabinet Secretary. He enjoys the trust and confidence of the appointing power of the President," the Palace official said.
Nograles would replace former Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr., who quit his post on October 16 after he filed his candidacy for governor in Bohol province in the 2019 midterm elections.
Prior to his new appointment, Nograles serves as congressman and is now on his third and last term.
A member of Duterte's ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, Nograles initially sought to seek a Senate seat in next year's polls, but withdrew his plan, saying that he would be able to "better serve the administration of President Duterte by supporting the candidacies of fellow Mindanaoans who share my desire to bring development to the regions."
“I thank President Duterte for welcoming me to his Cabinet. As a fellow Mindanaoan and kapwa probinsyano I hope to contribute to government efforts to bring development to the regions through different programs that place an emphasis on providing more economic opportunities outside Metro Manila,” Nograles said in a statement.
He hoped that his experience as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee would provide him with the kind of “holistic perspective” needed in his new post.
“As Appropriations chair, one has to be familiar with the financial resources of the government’s different agencies, as well as have a general idea of their main thrusts and major programs,” Nograles said.
Nograles expressed confidence that he will be able to do his job with the guidance of the senior officials in the cabinet.
"I hope to hit the ground running and do whatever I can to help the President,” he added.
Aside from leading the powerful committee on appropriatons, Nograles also served as chair of the House Committee on Labor and Employment.
He authored three landmark labor laws, namely, Republic Act 10771 or The Green Jobs Act, hailed by the International Labor Organization as a first of its kind in the world; Republic Act 10869 or the JobStart Philippines Act, which gives the Filipino better access and opportunities for employment; and Republic Act 10741, strengthening the operations of the National Labor Relations Commission. He is also the author of the Free Higher Education Law and the Free Irrigation Law.
Former President and House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, congratulated Nograles.
"My congratulations to the new Cabinet Secretary, Karlo Nograles. I am sure he will do very well in his new position, and that he will be a valuable member of the President's team,” Arroyo said. (SunStar Philippines)