THE Commission on Appointments (CA) has confirmed the ad interim appointment of Rexlon Gatchalian as secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The CA on Wednesday also confirmed the ad interim appointments of 50 senior officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, including Lt. Gen. Arthur Cordura, AFP deputy chief of staff, and Vice Admiral Adaci Toribio Jr., Philippine Navy flag officer in command.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed Gatchalian as DSWD secretary after the CA bypassed the then DSWD chief, broadcaster Erwin Tulfo.

Rep. Greg Gasataya, chairman of the CA Committee on Labor, Employment, Social Welfare and Migrant Workers, sponsored Gatchalian’s confirmation.

He said Gatchalian knows what it takes to lead and innovate integral mechanisms of social work.

Gasataya said that he believes that “the merit and fitness of Secretary Rex Gatchalian affirm the decision of President Marcos to appoint him as his alter ego for social welfare development with the mandate to lead the implementation and coordination of social protection and poverty reduction solutions for and with the marginalized, vulnerable and disadvantaged.”

Sen. Mary Grace Poe said Gatchalian “does not crack under pressure.” She attributed his success to his “eye for streamlining and innovation.”

Senate President Pro Tempore Lorna Regina “Loren” Legarda cosponsored Gatchalian’s confirmation.

I believe Rex Gatchalian has the skills, the competence, and the heart for this position. He has an impressive track record in public service,” she said. “He may not have experienced poverty firsthand, but his leadership as Valenzuela City’s local chief executive has made him aware of its realities.”

Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito recalled working with the former mayor, saying he was “amazed” with how Gatchalian turned Valenzuela City into a “yardstick” of local governance.

“I recommend Sec[retary] Rex [to head the DSWD] not only because of his governance but also because of his innovative programs,” Ejercito said.

Gatchalian told the CA committee that he takes it “as a challenge to reach out to families which is part of the social protection program of the DSWD.

“No family should be living or no individual should be living in the streets,” he said during the deliberation of his ad interim appointment.