Before being appointed to the Civil Service Commission, Atty. Karlo Alexei B. Nograles served as Cabinet Secretary, appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte in November 2018 to head the Office of the Cabinet Secretariat. He served as close adviser to the President and ensured close coordination among the different agencies of government, such as DILG, DPWH, DSWD, DOH, and others.
| As Cabinet Secretary, he led the following: |
| - Co-Chair of the Inter Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF) tasked to formulate policy and plans and lead all government efforts in addressing the COVID19 pandemic as well as preparing the country for post pandemic recovery |
| - Chair of the Inter Agency Task Force on Zero Hunger tasked to formulate the country’s national food policy to ensure the attainment of zero hunger and poverty eradication consistent with the Philippine Development Plan |
| - Chair of National Irrigation Administration (NIA), which is responsible for the development and management of irrigation in agricultural lands |
| - Chair of the Cabinet Assistance System (CAS), which handles priority areas or matters that need special and immediate attention of the President and the Cabinet |
| - Chair of the Cabinet Cluster Secretariat, which monitors the directives and promises of the different clusters of the Cabinet Secretariat. Among them are the Economic Development Cluster (EDC), Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cluster (HDPRC), Infrastructure Cluster (IC), Security, Justice, and Peace Cluster (SJPC), etc. |
Before he was appointed as Cabinet Secretary, he was Chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, which approves the national budget for the annual expenses of the government. He served as a three-term congressman of the 1st District of Davao City.
| He authored the following laws: |
| - The Green Jobs Act which encourages the creation of “green jobs” or jobs that preserve or restore the quality of the environment. Incentives are also given to businesses who are able to provide “green jobs.” |
| - JobStart Philippines Act where high school graduates are given opportunities to register and become JobStart trainees to undergo training and have work experience that companies require. |
| - Free Higher Education which ensures that college tuition is free for those enrolled in state universities and colleges, local universities and colleges, as well as state-run technical vocational institutions. |
| - Salary increase for police and AFP personnel |
| As Chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, he made sure that funding is provided for the following: |
| - The Free Higher Education Law |
| - The National ID System |
| - Additional budget for irrigation |
| - And the Modernization of equipment of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) |
| Other laws he advocated for are: |
| - Cancer Care Bill which aims to make cancer treatment affordable |
| - Universal Health Care Bill to make healthcare free for all Filipinos |
| - A bill that aims to have the regular officials of barangays receive monthly salary |
A lawyer by profession, he previously worked for the Nograles law firm in Davao City.
He is a recipient of numerous prestigious awards as an outstanding legislator. He received the Golden Globe Awards for Excellence in Public Service in 2015 and 2016. He was also recognized as an Outstanding Congressman in 2012 and 2015 by Superbrands Marketing International.
Other Awards received:
TESDA KABALIKAT Award for Region XI in 2013 and in 2015
Chairperson Nograles is a graduate of Philippine Science High School. He holds a degree in BS Management Engineering from the Ateneo de Manila University and a Juris Doctor from the Ateneo de Manila Law School. He was born and raised in Davao City, the second among four children of Prospero Nograles, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Rhodora Bendigo-Nograles, a cousin of President Rodrigo Duterte.