Antonio Herrera Cerilles (born October 7, 1948) is a former

Governor of Zamboanga del Sur The governor of Zamboanga del Sur is the local chief executive of the Philippine province of Zamboanga del Sur Zamboanga del Sur ( Cebuano: ''Habagatang Zamboanga;'' Subanen: ''S'helatan Sembwangan/Sembwangan dapit Shelatan''; Chavacano: ''Zam ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, from June 30, 2010, until June 30, 2019. He ran and lost during the 2019 elections for Representative of the 2nd Legislative District of Zamboanga del Sur to Bayog Mayor Leonardo L. Babasa, Jr. Prior to the governorship, he was a member of the

House of Representatives of the Philippines The House of Representatives of the Philippines ( fil, Kapulungan ng mga Kinatawan ng Pilipinas, italic=unset, ''Kamara'' or ''Kamara de Representantes'' from the Spanish language, Spanish word ''cámara'', meaning "chamber") is the lower house ...

as the representative of the second district of Zamboanga del Sur. He has been succeeded in the Congress by his wife,

Aurora Enerio-Cerilles Aurora Cerilles ( Enerio; born September 17, 1949) is a Filipino politician. She was a former representative of the second (2nd) legislative district of the Province of Zamboanga del Sur to the House of Representatives of the Philippines. She is t ...

as congressman who also preceded him in the governorship of the province. He also served as the Secretary of Department of Environment and Natural Resources during the tenure of then

Philippine The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Joseph Estrada Joseph Ejercito Estrada, (; born Jose Marcelo Ejercito; April 19, 1937), also known by the nickname Erap, is a Filipino politician and former actor. He served as the 13th president of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, the 9th vice preside ...

from 1998 to 2001.

Early life

Cerilles was born on October 7, 1948 in Manila to Vicente Cerilles and Josefina Herrera. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from

University of Santo Tomas The University of Santo Tomas (also known as UST and officially as the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila) is a private, Catholic research university in Manila, Philippines. Founded on April 28, 1611, by Spanish friar Miguel ...

in 1968 and his Bachelor of Laws degree from

University of the East The University of the East ( fil, Pamantasan ng Silangan), also known as UE, is a leading private university located in Manila, Philippines. Founded in 1946, business tycoon Lucio Tan acquired the university in 1990. UE was once labeled as the ...

in 1972.

Membership

He is an active member of

Alpha Phi Omega Alpha Phi Omega (), commonly known as APO, but also A-Phi-O and A-Phi-Q, is a coeducational service fraternity. It is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of over 25,0 ...

fraternity. He was the National President of JCI Senate Philippines 2012. He is also the National Senior Vice President of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines and the current Council Chairman of BSP Zamboanga del Sur-Pagadian City Council. He is also a member of various organizations including the Knights of Columbus, Council 8188 and the Parliamentary Government Foundation.

Career in the House of Representatives

Before being elected as a congressman, Cerilles was elected as a Regional Assemblyman of the Sanguniang Pampook of Region X,

Zamboanga City Zamboanga City, officially the City of Zamboanga (Chavacano and es, Ciudad de Zamboanga, Tausug language, Tausūg: ''Dāira sin Sambuangan'', fil, Lungsod ng Zamboanga, ceb, Dakbayan sa Zamboanga), is a city in the Zamboanga Peninsula region ...

from 1982–1987. He was elected as the representative of the second district of Zamboanga del Sur in 1987, 1992 and 1995. Among the laws he authored during this stint was House Bill No. 3950 now Republic Act No. 6975 otherwise known as the "Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990," which established the

Philippine National Police The Philippine National Police ( fil, Pambansang Pulisya ng Pilipinas, acronymed as PNP) is the armed national police force in the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Current ...

under a Reorganized Department of the Interior and Local Government and House Bill No. 9347 now Republic Act No. 8047 otherwise known as the "Book Publishing Industry Development Act," which formulated and implemented a National Book Policy and a National Book Development Plan. After serving as DENR Secretary from 1998–2001, he was elected again as a representative in 2004. He was one of the signatories of House Resolution 1109 calling for a constituent assembly to amend the Constitution.

Honors

A classroom inside Dalupan Building in

in Manila was renamed Secretary Antonio H. Cerilles Chamber being an alumnus of the UE College of Law.

References

, - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Cerilles, Antonio Living people Governors of Zamboanga del Sur Lakas–CMD politicians 1948 births 20th-century Filipino lawyers People from Manila University of Santo Tomas alumni University of the East alumni Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Zamboanga del Sur Secretaries of Environment and Natural Resources of the Philippines Estrada administration cabinet members