Cheloy Garafil Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Honorable
Honorific-Suffix:MNSA
Cheloy Garafil
Office:Secretary of the Presidential Communications Office
Term Start:October 7, 2022
President:Bongbong Marcos
Office2:Chairman of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board
President2:Bongbong Marcos
Term Start2:June 30, 2022
Term End2:October 7, 2022
Predecessor2:Martin B. Delgra III
Successor2:Teofilo E. Guadiz III
Birth Place:Pura, Tarlac, Philippines
Alma Mater:University of Santo Tomas (BA, LL.B)
National Defense College of the Philippines (MNSA)
Occupation:Lawyer
Allegiance: Philippines
Branch: Philippine Air Force Reserve Command
Rank:Lieutenant Colonel

Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil is a Filipino lawyer and former journalist who serves as the Secretary of the Presidential Communications Office.

Education

Garafil attended the University of Santo Tomas (UST) where she graduated with a communication arts degree. She later pursued law studies in the same university, then passed the bar examination in 2003.[1]

Career

Journalism

Prior to working in the government, Garafil served as a reporter for the newspaper Malaya. She also worked for the Philippine Daily Globe and the Central News Agency of Taiwan.[1]

Government

Garafil worked as a prosecutor for the Department of Justice during the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.[1]

On October 7, 2022, Garafil resigned as chair of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to assume the position of Officer in Charge of the Office of the Press Secretary.[2] The office would later be reorganized as the Presidential Communications Office on December 29, 2022.[3] [4] She would lead the office under a regular capacity when she took oath as Press Secretary on January 10, 2023.[5]

Personal life

She is married to Eric Garafil, a former reporter from The Manila Times and The Manila Chronicle. They have two sons and a daughter.

Garafil's house at Gabriela Silang Street, New Capitol Estates 1, Batasan Hills was totally destroyed by a 2-hour fire at 8:30 p.m., February 15, 2024. Garafil’s house was one of the four houses involved in the fire incident.[6] [7]

Notes and References

  1. News: Reyes . Dempsey . Corrales . Nestor . LTFRB's Garafil tapped as Palace media OIC . 21 October 2022 . Philippine Daily Inquirer . 8 October 2022 . en.
  2. News: Cordero . Ted . LTFRB chair Garafil steps down, accepts OIC post in Office of Press Secretary . 21 October 2022 . GMA News . 7 October 2022 . en.
  3. Web site: Executive Order No. 11, s. 2022 . Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines . December 29, 2022.
  4. News: Romero . Alexis . Marcos reorganizes Office of the President . 15 January 2023 . The Philippine Star . 5 January 2023.
  5. News: From OIC to secretary: Cheloy Garafil now heads Malacañang communications arm . 15 January 2023 . The Philippine Star . 10 January 2023.
  6. News: PCO chief’s house damaged in QC fire. February 16, 2024 . Philippine Daily Inquirer. February 16, 2024.
  7. News: Reyes. Victor . PCO secretary’s house razed by fire. February 13, 2024 . Malaya. February 13, 2024.