The Office of the Executive Secretary of the Philippines (formerly the Executive Office) is the head and highest-ranking official of the Office of the President of the Philippines and a member of the Cabinet of the Philippines.
The office-holder has been nicknamed as the "Little President" due to the nature and mandate of the position "to directly assist the President in the management of affairs of the government as well as to direct the operations of the Executive Office." It is headed by the executive secretary in which appointed by the president with the confirmation by the Commission on Appointments.
The office was established on October 12, 1936, with Jorge B. Vargas as the inaugural holder.
The position of executive secretary is currently held by former Finance Secretary Ralph Recto.
Powers and duties In Book III, Chapter 9, Section 27 of Executive Order No. 292, the Administrative Code of the Philippines, the role of the Executive Secretary was defined as:
The executive secretary possesses so much power since the holder of the office is the chief alter-ego of the president of the Philippines, the chief executive. The executive secretary can issue orders in the name of the president, can review and modify decisions of other cabinet secretaries on appeal and can perform numerous other functions as allowed or delegated by the chief executive. The executive secretary, can also be the top coordinator of the activities of the executive branch of the government, if necessary.
List of executive secretaries
Secretary to the President (1936–1944) No.PortraitName(Birth–Death) Took office Left officePresident1Jorge B. Vargas(1890–1980)October 12,1936December 11,1941Manuel L. Quezon2Manuel Roxas(1892–1948)December 24,1941March 26,19423Arturo Rotor(1907–1988)June 13,1942November 30,1944Sergio Osmeña
Executive Secretary (1943–1945) No.PortraitName(Birth–Death) Took office Left officePresident4Jose GilOctober 14,1943August 30,1944Jose P. Laurel5Emilio AbelloAugust 31,1944February 27,1945
Secretary to the President (1945–1946) No.PortraitName(Birth–Death) Took office Left officePresident6Jose ReyesFebruary 27,1945May 24,1946Sergio Osmeña(5)Emilio AbelloMay 30,1946July 4,1946Manuel Roxas
Chief of the Executive Office (1946–1947) No.PortraitName(Birth–Death) Took office Left officePresident(5)Emilio AbelloJuly 4,1946September 3,1947Manuel Roxas7Nicanor RoxasSeptember 10,1947October 3,1947
Executive Secretary (1947–1975) No.PortraitName(Birth–Death) Took office Left officePresident(7)Nicanor RoxasOctober 4,1947February 6,1948Manuel Roxas(5)Emilio AbelloFebruary 26,1948September 14,1948Elpidio Quirino8Teodoro EvangelistaSeptember 16,1948May 8,19519Marciano RoqueFebruary 2,1952December 29,195310Fred Ruiz Castro(1914–1979)December 30,1953October 26,1955Ramon Magsaysay11Fortunato de LeonApril 12,1956December 30,1957Carlos P. Garcia12Juan PajoJanuary 16,1958August 28,195913Natalio CastilloJanuary 24,1960September 5,196114Rafael M. Salas(1928–1987)January 1,1966July 24,1969Ferdinand Marcos15Ernesto Maceda(1935–2016)July 26,1969February 7,197016Alejandro Melchor Jr.February 9,1970November 4,197417Ponciano MathayNovember 7,1974December 7,1975
Presidential Executive Assistant (1975–1986) No.PortraitName(Birth–Death) Took office Left officePresident18Jacobo ClaveDecember 8,1975December 23,1979Ferdinand Marcos19Juan TuveraDecember 30,1979February 22,198620Joker Arroyo(1927–2015)February 25,1986March 25,1986Corazon Aquino
Executive Secretary (since 1986) No.PortraitName(Birth–Death) Took office Left officePresident(20)Joker Arroyo(1927–2015)March 25,1986September 15,1987Corazon Aquino21Catalino Macaraig Jr.(1927–2003)September 17,1987December 14,199022Oscar Orbos(born 1951)December 16,1990July 14,199123Franklin Drilon(born 1945)July 15,1991June 30,1992—Peter Garrucho Jr.ActingJuly 1,1992September 13,1992Fidel V. Ramos24Edelmiro Amante(1933–2013)September 14,1992June 30,199325Teofisto Guingona Jr.(born 1928)July 6,1993May 19,199526Ruben Torres(born 1941)May 20,1995January 8,199827Alexander AguirreJanuary 9,1998June 30,199828 Ronaldo Zamora(born 1944)July 1,1998December 31,2000Joseph Estrada29Edgardo Angara(1934–2018)January 6,2001January 20,200130Renato de Villa(born 1935)January 22,2001May 7,2001Gloria Macapagal Arroyo31Alberto Romulo(born 1933)May 8,2001August 24,200432 Eduardo Ermita(1935–2025)August 24,2004February 23,201033Leandro Mendoza(1946–2013)February 24,2010June 30,201034Paquito Ochoa Jr.(born 1960)June 30,2010June 30,2016Benigno Aquino III35Salvador Medialdea(born 1951)June 30,2016June 30,2022Rodrigo Duterte36Vic Rodriguez(born 1973)June 30,2022September 17,2022Bongbong Marcos37Lucas Bersamin(born 1949)September 27,2022November 17, 202538Ralph Recto(born 1964)November 17,2025Incumbent Ad Interim
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