Jose "Jerry" Rizalino Larion Acuzar (born June 19, 1955)is a Filipino business executive who is the founder of New San Jose Builders. He also serves as the current Secretary of the

Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development ( fil, Kagawaran ng Pananahanang Pantao at Pagpapaunlad ng Kalunsuran), abbreviated as DHSUD, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the management of ...

since July 29, 2022.

Early life and education

Jose "Jerry" Acuzar was born on June 19, 1955 in Balanga,

Bataan Bataan (), officially the Province of Bataan ( fil, Lalawigan ng Bataan ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the entir ...

. His parents were Marcelino A. Acuzar and Maria Larion. He finished his primary education at the Balanga Elementary School in 1967 and completed his secondary education at the Arellano Memorial (Bataan) High School (now Bataan National High School) in 1974. He finished a vocational course in drafting at the Bataan National School of Arts and Trades (BNSAT) in Balanga (now the Bataan Peninsula State University). He obtained a college degree in architecture at the

Technological Institute of the Philippines The Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.; fil, Institusyong Panteknolohiya ng Pilipinas) is a private research-oriented higher education institution located in Metro Manila, Philippines. It was founded in 1962 by educators Dr. T ...

in 1983.

Career

While attending BNSAT, Acuzar worked as a cutter-welder in the iron works shop owned by his older brother. He would later set up his own iron works shop in

Quezon City Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...

. Acuzar also was employed as a

draftsman A drafter (also draughtsman / draughtswoman in British and Commonwealth English, draftsman / draftswoman or drafting technician in American and Canadian English) is an engineering technician who makes detailed technical drawings or plans for m ...

for the Tondo Foreshore Redevelopment Project in 1975. He worked as a contractor in the 1980s before establishing the real estate firm New San Jose Builders, Inc. (NSJBI) in 1986. NSJBI is known for developing residential and commercial condominiums as well as the

Philippine Arena The Philippine Arena is the world's largest indoor arena. It is a multipurpose indoor arena with a maximum seating capacity of 55,000 at Ciudad de Victoria, a 140-hectare tourism enterprise zone in Bocaue and Santa Maria, Bulacan, Philippin ...

. He is also known for the development of the

Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar (Spanish for "Acuzar's Philippine Houses") is a beach resort, hotel, convention center and heritage destination in Bagac, Bataan, Philippines. History Jose Acuzar, the owner of New San Jose Builders, New San Jose Bu ...

, a resort known for its Spanish colonial-era buildings transplanted from elsewhere. On July 29, 2022, Acuzar was appointed as secretary of the

by President

Bongbong Marcos Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. ( , , ; born September 13, 1957), commonly referred to by the initials PBBM or BBM, is a Filipino politician who is the 17th and current president of the Philippines. He previously served as a senat ...

. He is the second secretary of the executive department, succeeding

Eduardo del Rosario Eduardo "Ed" Drueco del Rosario (born November 22, 1956) is a Philippine Army veteran and government official who served as the first Secretary of Human Settlements and Urban Development of the Philippines under the Duterte administration, fro ...

Personal life

Acuzar is married to Maria Theresa Ochoa, the sister of

Paquito Ochoa Jr. Paquito "Jojo" Navarro Ochoa Jr. (born November 11, 1960) is a Filipino lawyer. He served as the 37th Executive Secretary of President Benigno Aquino III. He had been the city administrator of Quezon City from 2001 to 2010. Early life Ochoa t ...

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Acuzar, Jose 1955 births Filipino business executives Filipino company founders Filipino businesspeople in real estate Bongbong Marcos administration cabinet members Secretaries of Human Settlements and Urban Development of the Philippines People from Balanga, Bataan Living people