Mel Senen S. Sarmiento | |
Office: | 25th Secretary of the Interior and Local Government |
Term Start: | September 11, 2015 |
Term End: | June 30, 2016 |
President: | Benigno Aquino III |
Predecessor: | Manuel Roxas II |
Successor: | Ismael Sueno |
Office2: | Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from Samar's 1st District |
Term Start2: | June 30, 2010 |
Term End2: | September 10, 2015 |
Predecessor2: | Reynaldo S. Uy |
Successor2: | Edgar Mary S. Sarmiento |
Office3: | Mayor of Calbayog |
Predecessor3: | Reynaldo S. Uy |
Successor3: | Reynaldo S. Uy |
Term Start3: | June 30, 2001 |
Term End3: | June 30, 2010 |
Office4: | Vice Mayor of Calbayog |
Term Start4: | June 30, 1992 |
Term End4: | June 30, 1995 |
Party: | Liberal |
Birth Name: | Mel Senen Sevilla Sarmiento |
Birth Date: | 11 August 1962 |
Birth Place: | Manila, Philippines |
Occupation: | Businessman |
Profession: | Politician |
Mel Senen Sevilla Sarmiento (born August 11, 1962) is a Filipino politician. He was a member of the Philippine House of Representatives representing the 1st Legislative District of Samar from 2010 to 2015. He also served as Secretary-General of the Liberal Party. He served as the Vice Mayor of Calbayog from 1992 to 1995 and Mayor from 2004 to 2011 before the death of Congressman Uy. He was also the Secretary General of the League of Cities of the Philippines from 2004 to 2010. He also served as the last Secretary of the Interior and Local Government under President Benigno Aquino III after Jesse Robredo and Mar Roxas.
Sarmiento was born in Manila to Engr. Oscar Sarmiento of Calbayog and Teresita Sevilla of Roxas City. He began his public service when he was vice mayor of Calbayog from 1992 to 1995. Prior to that, he was an active member of the Rotary Club in Samar.[1] Unsuccessful in his bid for the mayoralty the following term, he took a break from politics for 6 years, during which time he ran his own construction firm.
In 2004–2010, he ran and won as Mayor of Calbayog.[2] He then became a substitute of Congressman Uy, and Aquino as Mayor. He also represented League of Cities of the Philippines[3] as secretary general.
Sarmiento was elected as representative of the first district of Western Samar during the 15th Congress. While on his first term, he was Vice Chairman of the Committee on National Defense[4] and Committee on Public Order and Safety.[4] On his second term, he was appointed Vice Chairman of the Committee on Millennium Development Goals and Transportation. He resigned his seat following his appointment as Secretary of the Interior and Local Government in September 2015.[5]
While in Congress, he authored and co-authored several house bills and republic acts, namely:
In December 2007, Sarmiento received the Konrad Adenauer Medal of Excellence[18] (KAME IV) and was conferred by the Ambassador of Germany, H. E. Axel Weishaupt at Manila Hotel.
Sarmiento is a member of the Advisory Group of Parliamentarians of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR). He represented the Philippine delegation for The Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction(WCDRR).[19] The WCDRR serves as a venue to gather policymakers and parliamentarians to share knowledge and best practices on disaster risk reduction and resilience.
Sarmiento was briefly engaged to Kris Aquino in 2021.[20] Aquino had publicised her relationship with him in August,[21] [22] a month after the death of her brother Benigno Simeon III.[23]