Samar 1st District Rep. Mel Senen Sarmiento, the secretary general of the Liberal Party, joined public service in 1992 as vice mayor of Calbayog. He was elected Mayor of Calbayog in 2001 and served for nine years before being elected as representative of the province first congressional district in 2010.
Sarmiento, a graduate of University of San Carlos in Cebu with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Commerce is a recipient of various awards such as the Konrad Adenauer Medal of Excellence in 2006 for making Calbayog a highly performing city, first place in the League of Cities Best Practices Award in 2003 among others.
Sarmiento now on his second term as congressman will take the place of Mar Roxas as secretary of the Department of of the Interior and local government.
