| Honorific Prefix: | The Honorable |
| Rex Gatchalian | |
| Native Name: | 張僑倫 |
| Office: | 28th Secretary of Social Welfare and Development |
| Term Start: | January 31, 2023 |
| President: | Bongbong Marcos |
| Predecessor: | Eduardo Punay |
| Office2: | Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from Valenzuela's 1st district |
| Term Start2: | June 30, 2022 |
| Term End2: | January 31, 2023 |
| Predecessor2: | Wes Gatchalian |
| Successor2: | Vacant |
| Term Start3: | June 30, 2007 |
| Term End3: | June 30, 2013 |
| Predecessor3: | Bobbit Carlos |
| Successor3: | Win Gatchalian |
| Office4: | 26th Mayor of Valenzuela |
| Term Start4: | June 30, 2013 |
| Term End4: | June 30, 2022 |
| 1Namedata4: | Eric Martinez (2013–2016) Lorena Natividad-Borja (2016–2022) |
| Predecessor4: | Win Gatchalian |
| Successor4: | Wes Gatchalian |
| Birth Name: | Rexlon Ting Gatchalian |
| Birth Date: | 21 January 1979 |
| Birth Place: | Manila, Philippines |
| Residence: | Valenzuela, Metro Manila |
| Party: | Nationalist People's Coalition |
| Relations: | Win Gatchalian (brother) Wes Gatchalian (brother) |
| Alma Mater: | George Washington University (BA, BS) |
| Profession: | Politician, public servant |
Rexlon Ting Gatchalian (Chinese: 張僑倫; born January 21, 1979) is a Filipino politician serving as the 28th Secretary of Social Welfare and Development since 2023. He previously served as the district representative[1] and Mayor of Valenzuela, Philippines.[2] [3] He is the brother of politicians Win Gatchalian and Wes Gatchalian.
Gatchalian was born on January 21, 1979, to industrialist William Gatchalian and Dee Hua Ting. He is the third of four siblings, namely Sherwin, Kenneth, and Weslie. The Gatchalian family identifies as Christian with Dee Hua being a pastor and chairman at their own church called Jesus our Life Ministries in Barangay Maysan, Valenzuela. He completed his primary and secondary education at Xavier School in San Juan, Metro Manila.
He started his career as a sales assistant or special projects coordinator for Air Philippines Inc. in 1998. He then became a special assistant to the President/CEO of the Philippines Estates Corporation. He served as an intern of Political Affairs Group in 2000 and as a paralegal for Williams and Connelly, LLP in Washington, D.C. in 2001. He later graduated cum laude in 2001 from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., United States, with a bachelor's degree in political science, with secondary fields of study in marketing and psychology.
In 2001, he was named vice president for sales & marketing of Waterfront Hotels and Casinos, the country's largest Filipino-owned first-class hotel operator. One year later, he was named as its executive vice president for hotel operations. In 2005, he was elected president of Waterfront Hotels and Casinos.[4]
Gatchalian first ran for representative of the 1st district of Valenzuela, in 2004 but lost to outgoing Mayor Bobbit Carlos.[5]
In 2007, Gatchalian ran for representative of the 1st District of Valenzuela once again and was successful this time. He was one of the youngest legislators during the 14th Congress.
As Vice-chairman for the Congressional Committee for Overseas Workers’ Affairs, he authored Republic Act No. 10022, also known as An Act Amending R.A. 8042, otherwise known as the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995. The law mandates new policies for the further protection and genuine representation of migrant workers. He is also one of the principal authors of Republic Act No. 9576, or the law that doubles the maximum deposit insurance coverage by the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) from to . It was also during his first term as Representative that he was elected as National Spokesperson for the political party Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC).
In 2010, Gatchalian was re-elected as representative of the 1st District of Valenzuela for the 15th Congress with the largest electoral margin in the district's history. At the age of 31, he became the youngest member of the Commission on Appointments in history, and the only Congressional Representation from the City of Valenzuela to be a member. He also served as the Senior Vice-chairman for the Congressional Committee on Games & Amusements.
Gatchalian was elected Mayor of Valenzuela in 2013. He was re-elected in 2016 and in 2019.[6]
His public service platform, better known as the “Five Pillars of Good Governance,” focused on the essential needs of his constituents: Education, Health and Social Services, Housing, Job Generation, and Trade and Industry.
He oversaw the creation of 48 barangay health stations (BHS) city-wide and the 14 Sentro ng Sama-Samang Serbisyo or 3S Centers as well as the ALERT Center, the Valenzuela City's Peoples Park, and the Valenzuela School of Mathematics and Science.
Other programs developed under his term as a Mayor include:
After completing his projects for the 5 Pillars, Gatchalian's second wave of undertakings focused on transforming Valenzuela City into a more liveable one. His notion of a liveable city essentially implies the presence of a leveled up infrastructure network and integrated sound protocols on logistics and management that will enable the city to respond to disasters and other challenges - hence, the birth of the ALERT Center (Allied Local Emergency and Evacuation Response Teams).[20] The ALERT Center is the brain of the disaster preparedness and response of the city, and the roof of the Valenzuela City Disaster Preparedness Office (DPO), the new Central Fire Station, Red Cross Volunteer Center, the Valenzuela City Command and Coordinating Center (VCC3), and the VC Tent.
In 2014, Gatchalian started inaugurating the 3S Centers[21] or the Sentro ng Sama-samang Serbisyo. The ‘little city halls’ house the fundamental satellite offices of the local government, such as the barangay health stations, fire substations, Serbisyo Centers (satellite offices for the payment of business permits, real property, and other government taxes), and many more.
On February 14, 2015, the city's 17th Charter Day, Valenzuelanos’ much awaited Valenzuela City People's Park[22] was officially opened to the public.
Another facility in the city that boasts of a nature-centered open space and is free to the public is the Valenzuela City Family Park also in Karuhatan. There is a playground, interactive fountain, aviary, fitness machines, amphitheater, and a food park in the park. The park is also pet-friendly, bike-friendly, and accessible to persons with disability.[23]
One of the many initiatives of the city government to create greener spaces, Polo Mini Park was inaugurated on January 21, 2020, six months after the announcement of the rehabilitation of the historical old town square of Polo. The park is adorned with hundred-years old luscious trees, fountain, memorial marker commemorating war veterans and statues of Pío Valenzuela and José Rizal. The park signifies not only a place for relaxation but also marks the historical identity of the city.[24]
Dubbed as Valenzuela City's "best kept secret", the Tagalag Fishing Village lies beside a 1.3km (00.8miles) boardwalk in Barangay Tagalag. Various activities are being offered in one of the newest attractions in the city such as recreational fishing, line fishing tutorials, bird watching, boating, photowalk, and sunset watching.[25]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Valenzuela City was the first local government to conduct localized targeted mass testing.[26] The city kicked off its own localized targeted mass testing for the coronavirus disease on April 11, 2020.
On September 12, 2020, the City Government of Valenzuela was able to acquire a COVID-19 testing laboratory license to operate for our Valenzuela Hope Molecular Laboratory, which complements the operation of the 24/7 Valenzuela City Mega Contact Tracing Center. The laboratory can process 800 samples a day, and also accepts other cities' samples to be processed at Valenzuela Hope Molecular Laboratory.[27]
In addressing the crowd and long lines in public markets, mobile palengkes were rolled out.
Valenzuela Tracing Application [28] began to roll out on September 12, 2020. It is an automated contact tracing system through the use of QR codes, which provides safe, timely contact identification. ValTrace is also interconnected with Pasig and Antipolo.[29]
Under the Alagang Valenzuelano program of Valenzuela City, they distributed food vouchers to families in the city.[30] as well as care bags for children with disabilities [31] and NutriPacks for kids enrolled at public daycare centers.[32]
On January 10, 2021, the city government has also signed a deal for advance purchase of 640,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca to vaccinate 320,000 individuals, 70% of the population of the city.[33]
Being term-limited for mayor, Gatchalian ran for representative of the 1st district of Valenzuela in 2022.[34] He eventually won in an uncontested race. He was then elected as the Chairman of the Committee on Local Government of the House of Representatives in the 19th Congress.[35]
On January 31, 2023, Gatchalian was appointed by President Bongbong Marcos as Secretary of Social Welfare and Development; he took oath on the same day.[36] With his appointment, he gave up his congressional seat.
Valenzuela City earned several citations under the Gatchalian's leadership. The citations profess the city's economic accountability, livability and disaster preparedness, outstanding employment and micro-entrepreneurship development programs, timely health and social protection policies, and sound implementation of peace and order advocacies.[37] [38] [39] [40]
Valenzuela City, led by Mayor Rex Gatchalian, landed three of the Top 10 Outstanding Local Governance Programs in Galing Pook Awards- Valenzuela Live, Tagalag Fishing Village and Paspas Permit.[41]
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