THE House of Representatives has elected Reginald “Reggie” Sagun Velasco as its new secretary general.

Velasco was one of House officers elected on Monday, including former police Major General Napoleon Taas, the chamber’s new sergeant-at-arms.

Velasco and Taas took their oath of office before Speaker Martin G. Romualdez on Tuesday in the House plenary hall in the presence of lawmakers.

The new House secretary general finished his secondary education at Torres High School in Tondo, Manila, graduating with honors in 1968.

He was president of the high school’s Supreme Student Council in 1967-68 and served as Boy Mayor of Manila during the celebration of Boys’ and Girls’ Week in 1967. He received the Roxas Leadership Award in 1968.

He had his tertiary education at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, graduating with an AB-Political Science degree in 1973.

He was arts and sciences councilor in the UP student council in 1970-71 and a member of Phi Kappa Phi International Honor Society in 1973.

Velasco went on to take his Master of Arts in Political Science degree at UP-Diliman, finishing it in 1974.

He received the UP Graduate Scholarship Award in 1973 and the National Economic and Development Authority Development Economics Fellowship Grant in 1974.

He took doctoral studies at the same state university and was a candidate for Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science in 1981.

He finished an investments negotiations course at Georgetown University in Washington DC, USA.

Velasco has an extensive professional experience, serving as political science lecturer in UP-Manila and Lyceum of the Philippines, NEDA economic researcher, staff economist and head of international division, Policy Coordination Staff; third secretary, vice consul and principal officer, economic division, and second secretary and consul and chief of economic section, Philippine Embassy in Washington DC; and director, US section, Office of American Affairs and director, Office of ASEAN Affairs, Department of Foreign Affairs.

He also served as NUP executive director, deputy secretary general of Lakas-CMD, deputy secretary general of Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino, assistant to the secretary general of Partido ng Masang Pilipino, consultant on domestic policy of the Office of the President, assistant secretary in the Office of the Vice President, chief of staff of the undersecretary for land transportation in the Department of Transportation and Communications, deputy head of the transparency group of the Office of the Presidential Chief of Staff, and a consultant and media advisory group member in the Office of the Speaker, House of Representatives.

The new House secretary general likewise had special assignments in government and attended numerous international meetings.

He was a member of the Philippine delegation to the RP-US bilateral economic negotiations in Washington DC, Philippine delegation to the RP-Japan Treaty negotiations in Tokyo, Philippine Trade Mission to New Zealand, Philippine delegation to the third meeting of the ASEAN committee on finance and banking in Thailand, Philippine Delegation to UNCTAD V in Manila, Philippine delegation to the 8th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting in Manila and the 9th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting in Singapore, Philippine delegation to the UN Negotiating Conference on the Common Fund in Switzerland, and Philippine delegation to the World Bank Consultative Group on the Philippines in France and in Tokyo.

Additionally, he served as adviser on the review of the RP-US Military Bases Agreement in Manila, adviser, ASEAN-US Dialogue in Washington DC; adviser and head rapporteur, RP-US Bases Negotiations in Manila; adviser, Philippine delegation to the annual World Bank-IMF conference; chairman, secretariat of the Cabinet Task Force on RP-US relations review; and adviser, First Multilateral Assistance Initiative.

Velasco possesses three civil service eligibilities: Clerical ll Examinations, 1970; Career Service Professional, 1978; and Foreign Service Officers Examination, 1979.