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Mel Sarmiento 10 Personal Facts, Biography, Wiki
Former Secretary of the Interior and Local Government of Philippines
Born: August 11, 1962 (age 59 years), Manila, Philippines
Party: Liberal Party
President: Benigno Aquino III
In office September 11, 2015 – June 30, 2016: In office; September 11, 2015 – June 30, 2016
Previous offices: Secretary of the Interior and Local Government of Philippines (2015–2016)
Sarmiento is currently engaged to Kris Aquino since October 2021.
Aquino had publicised her relationship with him in August, a month after the death of her brother Benigno, who matched them up together.
“To my best friend and the man I said YES” – Kris Aquino
Mel Sarmiento 10 Pics, Photos, Pictures
Mel Sarmiento 10 Fast Facts, Biography, Wiki
Born August 11, 1962 in Manila, Sarmiento is the son of Engineer Oscar Sarmiento and Teresita Sevilla.
Facebook posts by Sarmiento reveal that he comes from a family of public servants.
His great grandfather is Hugon Rosales who served as 1st Lt. of the First Battalion under General Vicente Lukban, and who later became mayor of Calbayog.
Hugon’s brother, Honorio, served as chief justice and was member of the First Philippine Assembly.
Through the years, Sarmiento also had uncles who served the government in different capacities—as congressman, governor, and senator.
Thus, it was no surprise when Sarmiento got involved in civic work, as a member of the Rotary Club in Samar in the early 90s.
And while he was adamant to join politics, according to an essay published on the Liberal Party’s Facebook page, he found the call to run for public office hard to ignore.
He was 30 years old when he ran for and won the vice-mayoralty post in 1992 in Samar, but he failed in his bid to become mayor in the election that followed.
When he took a break from politics, he joined the Rural Bank of Calbayog City as director.
Sarmiento returned to public service in 2001 and served three terms as mayor of Calbayog City until 2010.
During his stints as the city’s chief executive, he earned awards and accolades from Galing Pook, Konrad Adenauer Medal of Excellence, and Competitive City Award.
Like then-Mayor Jesse Robredo, Mayor Mel was active with the League of Cities of the Philippines and became its Secretary General.
“From where I stood, I think the secret of the two mayors is their leadership style,” wrote Ceazar Ryan Aquino on the Liberal Party’s Facebook page back in 2015.
“They both managed the LGU like a CEO of a company while at the same time involving as many stakeholders as possible.
Mayor Mel always arrives at the city hall on time. On time for him means 30 minutes before everybody else does.
Hence he has his own key to his office.”
“Mel was a very hardworking Cabinet Secretary even if it was just less than a year that he was the DILG Secretary,” says former Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda.
Like Mayor Jesse, Mayor Mel is also a “koboy” who is not fussy and would eat at nearby karinderyas in Calbayog.
“You’d see him walk around the city conducting ocular inspections without bodyguards.
And I think this made the people love him not as their elected official but the father of the city.”
“Mel was a very hardworking Cabinet Secretary even if it was just less than a year that he was the DILG Secretary,” says former Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda.
“He would brief and update PNoy on the various projects of DILG.
He would go around the different LGUs and explain to the people the various programs of the PNoy administration.
He ably followed the footsteps of Secretaries Robredo and Roxas as the last DILG secretary under PNoy.”
Sarmiento is currently chair of Galing Pook Foundation, a professor at the Local Government Academy and Development Academy of the Philippines, and chair of SOS Children’s Villages Philippines, which gives “long-term family-based care to children in need.”
He became the representative of the first district of Western Samar in the 15th Congress in 2010, and he also became secretary-general of the Liberal Party.
In a 2015 interview, then Iloilo City Rep. (now Mayor) Jerry Treñas said Sarmiento is one of former DILG Secretary Mar Roxas’ “top advisers and problem solver.”
With his wealth of experience in local governance, Treñas said Sarmiento was considered “the best man” to replace Roxas.
Now is Sarmiento also “the best man” for the job of being Kris Aquino’s better half?
As per her giddiness in IG video, the lady seems to think so.