Secretary’s Corner

Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1985. He later received his master’s degree in Project Management at the University of New South Wales (Australia) and also took the Executive Education program at Harvard University and Asian Institute of Management (AIM).

He served in various vital positions in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as Commander of 104th Brigade in Basilan, 6th Infantry Division in Central Mindanao and the Western Mindanao Command and also served as the Unified Commander of all forces during the five months’ intense battle to liberate Marawi. He rose to become the Philippines’ 50th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) from April to December 2018. 

Secretary Galvez was also a recipient of the prestigious United States Eisenhower Fellowships in 2006. In 2007, he was awarded as one of “The Outstanding Philippine Soldiers (TOPS)” by the Metro Bank Foundation, Inc. and Rotary Club of Makati Metro.

Following his retirement from military service, Secretary Galvez was appointed as Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (PAPRU) in 2018, and held several positions such as the country’s Chief Implementer on the National Task Force against COVID-19 in 2020 to 2022 and later as the Vaccine Czar during the height of the Pandemic. On 16 June 2022, Secretary Galvez was conferred upon the Order of Lakandula Award with the rank of Grand Cross, Bayani, and several awards such as the Legion of Honor, Distinguished Service Medals and other administrative and combat recognition, among others.

Secretary Galvez continue to hold the position as Presidential Peace Adviser under the Marcos administration until he was appointed as the Officer-in-Charge of the Department of National Defense (DND) from January to June 2023. 

After his five-month stint at the helm of DND, Secretary Galvez was reappointed as the PAPRU to continue to push forward the Philippines’ comprehensive peace process under the Marcos administration’s Five-Point Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Agenda.