Marcos appoints Ortega as National Youth Commission chair

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Joseph Francisco Ortega as the new chairperson of the National Youth Commission (NYC).

In a statement on Thursday, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said Marcos also appointed Karl Josef Legazpi as the second Commissioner-at-Large of the NYC.

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The PCO said Ortega’s appointment comes “as part of the administration’s commitment to empowering the Filipino youth and ensuring that their voices are represented at the highest levels of government.”

Prior to his appointment, Ortega served as the Regional Director of the Department of Tourism (DOT) Region 1 since 2019.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Ateneo de Manila University and a Master of Business Administration from the Ateneo Graduate School.

Meanwhile, Legazpi served as a director at the House of Representatives.

In 2020, Ortega went viral on social media after he introduced Marcos as the Vice President—a position then-Vice President Leni Robredo held— during a tourism event.

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The incident drew the ire of the public, prompting the Department of Tourism to issue a reminder to its officials to perform their duties with professionalism.