Sherwin Gatchalian

Sherwin T. Gatchalian (born April 6, 1974^[1]) is a Filipino-Chinese businessman from Valenzuela City, Philippines. He is the current mayor of Valenzuela City^[1] and the first representative to represent the city's first district on Philippine Congress in 2001. His younger brother is incumbent First district congressman Rexlon Gatchalian.http://www.valenzuela.gov.ph/index.php/government/officials/The+City+Mayor/+/141

Early Life and Education

Born on April 6, 1974, Mayor WIN is the eldest son of businessman, philanthropist and former presidential advisor William Gatchalian. He earned his Business Administration degree at the prestigious Boston University in Massachusetts and finished advanced studies in Corporate Finance at the Euromoney Institute of Finance. Prior to government service, he worked for several blue chip companies, including Air Philippines International Corporation, the Wellex Group of Companies, Omico Mining Corporation, Plastic City Corporation, and Waterfront Philippines Inc.

While still a young corporate executive, he founded the WIN Action Center, Inc. as a public service for the people of Valenzuela. The center, which remains in operation, regularly carries out medical missions, feeding programs, calamity response and assistance, scholarship grants, and youth outreach programs across Valenzuela.

In 2004, he was elected mayor, becoming the 27th local chief executive of Valenzuela

Political Career

In 2001, Mayor WIN ran for his first elective post and easily won the Congressional seat at the 1st District of Valenzuela. Among the bills and resolutions he authored were on the protection of migrant workers, the establishment of anti-illegal recruitment centers, the establishment of district drug rehabilitation centers, along with other developmental laws for the improvement of his home city.

Governance

Since assuming his post in 2004, Mayor WIN has been steering Valenzuela toward major reforms. Just six months into his first term, he ended the city’s garbage woes and turned Valenzuela into an urban model of cleanliness. In the aftermath of the devastation of typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) in 2009, Valenzuela, with Mayor WIN at the helm, harnessed both public and private resources to become the first city in Metro Manila to clear its area of flood debris and rubbish. In a bid to rein in corruption and to improve public service, Mayor WIN has streamlined and simplified government transactions and integrated relevant technologies in government procedures. Improved tax collection, alongside a marked increase in taxpayers’ confidence in the local administration, has also led to a surge in city revenues. Income more than doubled from P900 million in 2004 to P2.1 billion in 2009.

Infrastructure Projects

Mayor WIN has made infrastructure development a priority in Valenzuela, constantly improving city operations for both citizens and enterprises. In 2008, the city-funded P90-million Lingunan-Lawang Bato overpass was opened to vehicular and pedestrian traffic, finally linking the eastern and western portions of the city that had earlier been separated by the Northern Luzon Expressway (NLEX). The 80-meter-long and 10-meter-wide bridge significantly eased traffic congestion along the narrow Canumay East Service Road and the NLEX’s busy Malinta Exit, and facilitated trade flow across the city.

Mayor WIN has also been overseeing construction work of a new government complex, which strategically places city offices and public service agencies in a single district. It includes the new executive building, finance center and police headquarters. A social hall, and a people’s center and legislative building, which houses the offices of the City Council and the Vice Mayor’s office, and the frontline service offices, have been established to facilitate public access to the local government. The old city hall building was also renovated and now serves as the Valenzuela City Hall of Justice.

Education Program

Mayor WIN considers quality education his centerpiece advocacy and has gained important strides toward this direction. Under the comprehensive WIN ang Edukasyon program, more than 2,000 classrooms have been built since 2004. Almost one million notebooks, lesson planners, and other teaching and learning materials are distributed every year. At the same time, public school teachers are given regular city government-sponsored trainings and seminars on the latest in teaching methods and strategies.

Mathematics and English workbooks have been developed with the Department of Education-Valenzuela, and are being supplied for free to all public elementary schools. In public high schools, state-of-the-art computer laboratories have been set up in support of the national government’s ICT program.</ref>http://www.valenzuela.gov.ph/index.php/government/officials/The+City+Mayor/+/141

Awards

Was recognized as one of The Outstanding young Men (TOYM) for 2011. </ref>http://pcoo.gov.ph/photoarchives2011/photos-dec07.htm http://www.radyonatin.com/story.php?storyid=1530

He was also awarded by the Department of Interior and Local Government as the country’s No. 1 city mayor for good governance for 2011. </ref>http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/opinion/columnist1/14224-sherwin-gatchalianyoung-blood-young-leader

References