Executive Secretary (Philippines)

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.

Office of the Executive Secretary

Tanggapan ng Kalihim Tagapagpaganap
Seal
Cabinet overview
Formed	October 12, 1936
Cabinet executives	Sec. Lucas Bersamin, Executive Secretary Usec. Leonardo Roy A. Cervantes, Undersecretary Usec. Adrian Carlos A. Bersamin, Undersecretary Usec. Al-Azree J. Mohammadsali, Undersecretary Usec. Jose Marcell A. Canlas, Undersecretary
Parent Cabinet	Office of the President
Website	Office of the Executive Secretary

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 upon confirmation by the Commission on Appointments.

The office was established on October 12, 1936, with Jorge B. Vargas as the inaugural holder.^[1]

The position of executive secretary is currently held by former Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin, who retained his position after President Bongbong Marcos declined his courtesy resignation following a cabinet reshuffle in the aftermath of the 2025 Philippine general election.^[2]

Powers and duties

In Book III, Chapter 9, Section 27 of Executive Order No. 292, the Administrative Code of the Philippines,^[3] the role of the Executive Secretary was defined as:

Sec. 27. Functions of the Executive Secretary. - The Executive Secretary shall, subject to the control and supervision of the President, carry out the functions assigned by law to the Executive Office and shall perform such other duties as may be delegated to him. He shall:

1. Directly assist the President in the management of the affairs pertaining to the Government of the Republic of the Philippines;
2. Implement presidential directives, orders and decisions;
3. Decide, for and in behalf of the President, matters not requiring personal presidential attention;
4. Exercise supervision and control over the various units in the Office of the President Proper including their internal administrative requirements;
5. Exercise supervision, in behalf of the President, over the various agencies under the Office of the President;
6. Appoint officials and employees of the Office of the President whose appointments are not vested in the President;
7. Provide overall coordination in the operation of the Executive Office;
8. Determine and assign matters to the appropriate units in the Office of the President;
9. Have administrative responsibility for matters in the Office of the President coming from the various departments and agencies of government;
10. Exercise primary authority to sign papers "By authority of the President", attest executive orders and other presidential issuances unless attestation is specifically delegated to other officials by him or by the President;
11. Determine, with the President's approval, the appropriate assignment of offices and agencies not placed by law under any specific executive department;
12. Provide consultative, research, fact-finding and advisory service to the President;
13. Assist the President in the performance of functions pertaining to legislation;
14. Assist the President in the administration of special projects;
15. Take charge of matters pertaining to protocol in State and ceremonial functions;
16. Provide secretarial and clerical services for the President, the Cabinet, the Council of State, and other advisory bodies to the President
17. Promulgate such rules and regulations necessary to carry out the objectives, policies and functions of the Office of the President Proper;
18. Perform such other functions as the President may direct.

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

Executive Secretary
Kalihim Tagapagpaganap
Incumbent Lucas P. Bersamin since September 27, 2022
Appointer	The president with the consent of the Commission on Appointments
Term length	At the president's pleasure
Inaugural holder	Jorge Vargas
Formation	October 12, 1936

#	Image	Name	Term started	Term ended	President	Era
Secretaries to the President						Commonwealth (in exile)
1		Jorge Vargas	October 12, 1936	December 11, 1941	Manuel L. Quezon[4]
2		Manuel Roxas	December 24, 1941	March 26, 1942
3		Arturo Rotor	June 13, 1942	November 30, 1944
Executive Secretaries						Second Republic
4		Jose Gil	October 14, 1943	August 30, 1944	Jose P. Laurel[1][5]
5		Emilio Abello	August 31, 1944	February 27, 1945
Secretaries to the President						Commonwealth (restored)
6		Jose S. Reyes	February 27, 1945	May 24, 1946	Sergio Osmeña[6]
7		Emilio Abello	May 30, 1946	July 4, 1946	Manuel Roxas[7]
Chiefs of the Executive Office						Third Republic/Fourth Republic
(7)		Emilio Abello	July 4, 1946	September 3, 1947	Manuel Roxas
8		Nicanor Roxas	September 10, 1947	October 3, 1947
Executive Secretaries
Act		Nicanor Roxas	October 4, 1947	February 6, 1948	Manuel Roxas
9		Emilio Abello	February 26, 1948	April 17, 1948
			April 17, 1948	September 14, 1948	Elpidio Quirino[8]
10		Teodoro Evangelista	September 16, 1948	May 8, 1951
11		Marciano Roque	February 2, 1952	December 29, 1953
12		Fred Ruiz Castro	December 30, 1953	October 26, 1955	Ramon Magsaysay[9]
13		Fortunato de Leon	April 12, 1956	March 17, 1957
			March 17, 1957	December 30, 1957	Carlos P. Garcia[10]
14		Juan Pajo	January 16, 1958	August 28, 1959
15		Natalio Castillo	January 24, 1960	September 5, 1961
16		Rafael M. Salas	January 1, 1966	July 24, 1969	Ferdinand Marcos[11]
17		Ernesto Maceda	July 26, 1969	February 7, 1970
18		Alejandro Melchor Jr.[12]	February 9, 1970	November 4, 1974
19		Ponciano Mathay	November 7, 1974	December 7, 1975
Presidential Executive Assistants
20		Jacobo Clave	December 8, 1975	December 23, 1979	Ferdinand Marcos
21		Juan Tuvera	December 30, 1979	February 22, 1986
22		Joker Arroyo	February 25, 1986	March 25, 1986	Corazon Aquino
Executive Secretaries						Fifth Republic
(22)		Joker Arroyo	March 25, 1986	September 15, 1987	Corazon Aquino[13]
23		Catalino Macaraig Jr.	September 17, 1987	December 14, 1990
24		Oscar Orbos	December 16, 1990	July 14, 1991
25		Franklin Drilon	July 15, 1991	June 30, 1992
Act.		Peter D. Garrucho Jr.	July 1, 1992	September 13, 1992	Fidel V. Ramos[14]
26		Edelmiro Amante	September 14, 1992	June 30, 1993
27		Teofisto Guingona Jr.	July 6, 1993	May 19, 1995
28		Ruben Torres	May 20, 1995	January 8, 1998
29		Alexander Aguirre	January 9, 1998	June 30, 1998
30		Ronaldo Zamora	July 1, 1998	December 31, 2000	Joseph Ejercito Estrada[15]
31		Edgardo Angara	January 6, 2001	January 21, 2001
32		Renato de Villa	January 22, 2001	May 7, 2001	Gloria Macapagal Arroyo[16]
33		Alberto Romulo	May 8, 2001	August 24, 2004
34		Eduardo Ermita	August 24, 2004	February 23, 2010
35		Leandro Mendoza	February 24, 2010	June 30, 2010
36		Paquito Ochoa Jr.	June 30, 2010	June 30, 2016	Benigno Aquino III[17]
37		Salvador Medialdea	June 30, 2016	June 30, 2022	Rodrigo Duterte[18]
38		Victor D. Rodriguez	June 30, 2022	September 17, 2022	Bongbong Marcos
39		Lucas Bersamin[2]	September 27, 2022	Present