FORMER People’s Tonight ace reporter Jerico Francis L. Javier has been appointed as the new Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Undersecretary for Operations.

Javier, who has worked in the media for over 25 years, took his oath of office on Tuesday, August 2.

As a journalist, he has been a proponent of promoting Filipinos’ better-living conditions.

Javier covered the lives and plight of overseas Filipino workers in various countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Macau, China, Singapore, and New Zealand.

He also covered the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Department of National Defense (DND) beats for almost 10 years for the Journal Group of Publications, publisher of People’s Journal and People’s Tonight.

Among his notable accomplishments as a newsman was his reporting on illegal drug transactions inside the maximum security compound of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) as a segment producer on TV 5.

Javier has been working as an executive producer at the Erwin Tulfo Center for Media and Public Service since April 2017.

He also produced investigative reports as a senior segment producer at TV 5 Aksyon Prime News from November 2010 to March 2017.

Javier has also been writing columns for People’s Tonight since January 2011.

Work experience

The 46-year-old official began his career as a reporter at the Liberty Newspaper from May 1997 to December 1997.

He also worked for People’s Balita from December 1997 to May 1998 and for Philippine Tribune from May 1998 to February 1999.

Javier later moved as a reporter and columnist at the Kabayan Newspaper until March 2001.

He then worked as a reporter of People’s Tonight from April 2001 until November 2010.

During his stint as a reporter, Javier covered several high-profile events in the Philippines, including the conflict of the Islamic forces, the Marawi siege, Super Typhoon Yolanda, and the controversial Luneta hostage crisis.

Javier is also a motivational educator for Journalism issues and topics, having been a professor at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines College of Communication since January 2011.

The new DSWD official earned his Journalism degree in the same institution in 1997.

Javier is currently taking his Master’s degree in Communication at PUP Open University.

He was also a recipient of a one-month study grant for journalists in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from the International Journalism Fellowship (Malaysian Press Institute) from October 5 to 30, 2009.

“Ang bilin po ng Pangulong BBM ay simple lang – walang maiiwan sa pagbangon natin mula sa pandemya,” said Javier in his speech during their oath taking ceremony.

“Kaya tayo po ay kailangang magkaisa at sumuporta sa adhikain ni Secretary Erwin (Tulfo) para sa mahihirap natin kababayan. As the President said, we need to stand together and unite to bring our nation to a better future.

Kay Secretary Tulfo, pag-utusan n’yo po ako,” he added. By ANCHIT MASANGCAY