The Man behind the Secretary: 24/7 Gibo Teodoro

by Ronald Jabal

He has the passion for public service; a clear vision for the country; and concrete actionable plans for the Philippines to move forward.
Armed with enviable credentials, he could be the next big thing in the country.

He is Secretary Gilberto “Gilbert” Teodoro of the Department of National Defense – the youngest to hold this position at the age of 43.

Gilbert in Public.
Before assuming his current role (which includes chairing the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) – a government unit on top of every disaster activity), he was a three-term Congressman representing the First District of Tarlac.

He was the Assistant Majority Floor Leader during the 11th Congress and sometime during his three terms in the House of Representatives, he almost became the Speaker of the House – thanks to his immense intelligence and very good working relationship with his colleagues.

A La Sallian with a degree in Commerce Major in Financial Institutions. An Isko with a Law degree in the University of the Philippines. A Bar Topnotcher. A Harvard Law School graduate with a degree in Master of Laws.

A licensed commercial pilot and Colonel in the Philippine Air Force Reserve – a hardcore avionics expert and enthusiast.

He is married to Representative Monica Prieto-Teodoro and has a son – Jaime Gilberto.
These credentials can easily win him more than five stars. But are these the only things Gilbert are made of?

Obviously not.

There is more to him than titles and accolades. At the end of the day, Secretary Teodoro is still a father, a husband, a son, and a member of the community not just in Tarlac but also of the Dasmarinas Village.

There is a real MAN behind the Secretary.

Gibo in Private
“There really a big big difference between me being the Secretary and Gilbert as a private man” quips Gilbert in an interview.

Wearing a navy blue coat covering a leaner figure (claiming he lost weight), he easily lightened up whenever he was asked questions he would not expect.

Calm and almost breezy, his responses revealed his humanity – showing that after all, without the almost rigid tradition and work ethics in the institution he represents, Secretary Teodoro remains to be Gilbert or Gibo.

“The office demands a mode of behavior that reflects the seriousness of managing an organization that is composed of about 200,000 people. But inside me, I am a simple guy who loves several simple things,” Gilbert enthuses.

“I can go to the simplest surrounding and enjoy the simple luxury. I try to enjoy life as best as I can. But the best time is always the time I spend with my family – my wife and my son,” he added.

Little does the public know, Gibo is a good cook. At home, he is the cook – the Home Chef. Whatever his wife and son demand, he would cook.

And he cooks a mean Pakbet – the Northern Tarlac version - which, according to him, is best eaten by hands. He can also cook “bagnet” but he cooks it differently – ala “Chicharon Camiling”. “My bagnet is much tastier as it is more like lechon kawali”, he brags.

While the family also eats out once in a while, it is the bonding time through meals at home that he considers the best.

“Eating at home and enjoying the meal together – which I cooked and prepared” are blissful events for me” Gilbert says.

He, however, admits family bonding sessions have been far and between given his almost 24/7 work as the Defense Chief and chairman of NDCC.
Scheduled trips and vacations are very rare. Hence, when there is some spare time, he makes it a point to go out of Manila for a much deserved rest and recreation.

“Inevitably I still do work during vacation. When my telephone rings I have to take it. I am however extremely fortunate and blessed because I have a very understanding and supportive family. One cannot ask for a better one. While my family does not complain, I know they miss me. I feel it,” Gilbert pensively discloses.


Gibo and the Movie/TV in his mind.
The pressures of his work and the gargantuan tasks of managing more than 200,000, have taken a toll even on his leisurely activities. While people are already taking about the latest Harry Potter, Transformer and GI Joe, Gilbert still talks about Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise.

He likes TV sitcom, “Married with Children” and looks forward to any British comedy. And since he arrives home late and quite tired already, he does not have any favorite local TV program.

As regards music, Gilbert has an eclectic choice for his favorite tunes - revealing his influences. He favors “Brazilectro” but admits to liking music that ranges from 70’s to 80s. He likes disco, swing tunes and chill out music.

“I am however drawn to Itchyworms. They are like a new age Kalapana. On top of this, I like them because two of them graduated from Xavier where I went in High School,” Gilbert beams.

Gibo in the Dasma Community
While his “primary community” is Tarlac which he represented in Congress, Gilbert professes admiration and awe to his community in Dasmarinas Village. In fact, he hails Dasmarinas Village as model village that can and should be replicated all over the country.

“Dasma is an ideal community – this is what you want other communities to be like. The privilege of living in Dasma gives me a clear view of how communities elsewhere should be developed. Dasma has the best urban planning, governance, safety and security and facilities,” he stresses.

“Dasma successfully practices cooperative governance,” Gilbert adds.
He argues that quasi-autonomous communities like Dasmarinas Village eases the pressures on the resources of local governments (LGUs). And when this happens, LGUs can concentrate on better providing services to other community members.

“The privilege of living in Dasma has given me a clear goal to work for and that is to help build self-sustaining communities so that national and local governments can allocate resources to basic goods and services to those who need them most,” Gilbert says.

He however confesses that he has not been an active community member given the nature of his work. He even laments that he does not have quality time with his friends in the village. But he is very thankful to village members for understanding him.

“I thank the Dasma community because it is a great community. I have very good and understanding neighbors,” he says.