EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION

Foundations of Success: Karlo A. B. Nograles’ Formative Years

Born in Davao City, Karlo Nograles was raised by a dutiful father of unparalleled commitment to family and public service, and by a very prayerful mother, who was an educator and a guidance counselor. Both of them instilled in him the strength of his faith which he carries to this day. This was reinforced by his Jesuit education in Ateneo de Davao University from nursery to elementary, where he graduated as the class valedictorian.

His four crucial years of high school were spent as a government scholar at the Philippine Science High School in Diliman, where he was taught to value education as a gift that should be given back through service to our country and the Filipino people.

After high school, he was accepted into the honors program of the Ateneo de Manila University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Engineering. The course is an honors program limited only to applicants who get in the top 10% of the Ateneo College Entrance Test. It is a rigorous course that prepares students to meet the challenges of leading modern information and technology-intensive organizations.

Karlo continued his education and graduated with a Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo De Manila University School of Law in 2003. In the same year he graduated from Law School, he took and passed the Bar Examinations with flying colors.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

A Spotlight on Karlo’s Distinguished Career

Karlo began serving in government in 2001 in the House of Representatives as Chief Political Affairs Officer to his father, former Speaker Prospero C. Nograles. Simultaneously, he pursued his law studies until he passed the Bar Exams in 2003.

He practiced law for six years while continuously serving as Chief Political Affairs Officer from 2004 to 2010, while also providing pro bono legal services to the underprivileged. During this time, he also managed the district office of his father, who also served as the first Mindanaoan Speaker of the House of Representatives.

In 2010, Karlo was elected to Congress and served as Representative of the people of the 1st District of Davao City.

Early on in his career as a neophyte lawmaker, Karlo was elected to the esteemed Committee on Rules and earned the rank of Assistant House Majority Leader of the 15th Congress.

He also served as Vice Chair of the Committee on Human Rights and held membership to the Committee on Good Government, Committee on Dangerous Drugs, Committee on Electoral Reforms and Suffrage, Committee on Transportation, Committee on Health, Committee on Public Order and Safety and Committee on Revision of Laws.

During his second term as representative of his district, he was elected as Chairman of the Committee on Labor and Employment and re-elected as Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights. He was also the Vice Chairman of the Committee on Revision of Laws. During this time, he was lauded by the International Labor Organization for authoring the Philippine Green Jobs Act of 2014.

Karlo was also the Chairman of the Technical Working Group of the Zero Hunger Bill that sought to eliminate the incidence of hunger in the country in 10 years.

Karlo was also a member of several key House committees such as the Committee on Energy, Committee on Constitutional Amendments, Committee on Higher

Technical Education, Committee on Housing and Urban Development, Committee on Transportation, Committee on Ways and Means, and Committee on Dangerous Drugs.

In his third term, Karlo chaired the Committee on Appropriations and passed the National Budgets for 2017 and 2018 in record time. He also worked closely with his co-legislators in ensuring funding for the Free Higher Education Law, the National ID System, free irrigation for small farmers, the modernization of equipment of the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Universal Health Care Law and the Cancer Care Law, among numerous other laws that needed budgetary support.

Apart from his legislative duties, Karlo also worked tirelessly for his constituency in Davao through his various programs that promote human development – sustainable programs that empower people to reach their full potential and growth as human beings and citizens of a free nation.

In November 2018, he was given the opportunity to serve in the executive branch as a member of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s Cabinet. As Cabinet Secretary, he was responsible for coordinating government agencies and crafting the agenda for Cabinet meetings.

He also chaired the Cabinet Assistance System and led the Inter-Agency Task Force on Zero Hunger.

During the COVID-19 global pandemic, Karlo co-chaired the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, overseeing the government’s response efforts. He also served as Spokesperson for the IATF conducting daily press and public briefings on government pandemic advisories, response and updates.

In his stint as the Cabinet Secretary, Karlo was designated to lead important initiatives and tasks as Vice Chairperson for the Government Sector, National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC); Chairperson of National Irrigation Administration (NIA); Chairperson of the Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security (CORDS)  –  CARAGA  Region;  Co-chairperson of the Inter Cabinet Cluster Mechanism on Normalization (ICCMN); Chairperson of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Unified Implementation and Monitoring of Recovery and Rehabilitation Projects in the Yolanda Corridor; Chairperson of the TWG – Teacher Quality; and Adviser to the Philippines Scaling Up Nutrition Network.

On 15 November 2021, he served as Acting Presidential Spokesperson, until he was appointed Chairperson of the CSC by former President Duterte on 04 March 2022. He officially assumed the position on 08 March 2022. After the adjournment of the 18th Congress in June 2022, he temporarily stepped down as Chairperson but was later re-appointed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. on 30 June 2022.