Leyte’s Fourth District has recently experienced remarkable economic growth and sustained peace and order. Strategic infrastructure, agriculture, and tourism investments have propelled the district into a thriving financial hub.
Improved connectivity and market access have empowered local businesses and entrepreneurs, fostering a climate of prosperity. Moreover, the collaborative efforts of the government, law enforcement, and community organizations have resulted in a secure environment, enabling residents to live and work without fear. These combined factors have contributed to Leyte’s Fourth District emerging as a model of development and social harmony in the region.
Many, if not all, of these developments, resulted from Rep. Richard Gomez’s efforts and unwavering passion for public service.
Rep. Gomez has made a remarkable transition from gracing the Philippines’ screens with his acting prowess to serving as a dedicated public servant. Currently, he is the Representative of Leyte’s Fourth District, with a focused agenda on peace and order, fighting against illegal drugs, promoting food security, sports development, good governance, and developing the agricultural sector, among other priorities.
He is a product of UP Diliman and UP Open University, where he received recognition as an “Outstanding Student of 1993.”
His Academic journey is equally impressive. He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Perpetual Help and a Doctorate Degree in Public Administration from Cebu Technological University. In 2021, he graduated from the Asia-Pacific Mayors Academy for Sustainable Urban Development.
As a multi-awarded actor, TV Host, and TV commercial director, he has won 11 acting awards from award-giving bodies in television and film/cinema, such as the Film Academy of the Philippines, FAMAS, Gawad Urian Awards, PMPC Star Awards, and FANTASPORTO International Film Festival, among others.
The district representative is also an accomplished sportsman and athlete. Rep. Gomez won gold medals in fencing in 2003 (SEA Games in Hanoi,Vietnam) and 2005 (SEA Games in Manila), setting national and international records in that sport. He also won two silver medals in 1997 (SEA Games in Jakarta, Indonesia) and bronze in Thailand in the same sport. Locally, Rep. Gomez was a five-time national fencing champion and won 1st place during the 2015 Asian Masters Fencing Championship. He is the incumbent Vice President of the Philippine Olympic Committee and the President of the Philippine Fencing Association (PFA) and the Philippine Modern Pentathlon Association (PMPA).
Yet among the accolades Rep. Gomez acquired throughout the years, seeing his jurisdiction flourish is a unique achievement.
Rep. Gomez served as Mayor of Ormoc City in Leyte for two consecutive terms, during which his administration successfully eliminated illegal drugs, making Ormoc one of the safest cities in the Philippines. This achievement was recognized in 2018 and 2019 by the PNP Crime Research and Analysis Center. With peace and order established, he attracted numerous investors, leading to the city’s economic upliftment and its recognition as the wealthiest LGU in Region 8. His leadership in Ormoc serves as a testament to the positive impact of good governance and the potential for further development in the region.
During his terms, he led Ormoc’s sports development by establishing state-of-the-art sports facilities and providing sports training conducted by nationally acclaimed coaches. This led to Ormocanons winning in national and international sporting events.
Additionally, while he was Ormoc’s mayor, he prepared the city government to receive the country’s first ISO 18091 certification, which is the application of quality management systems specific to local governments.
Rep. Gomez’s presence and influence are also significant in the House of Representatives. As the Vice Chairperson of the Committees on Creative Industries, Dangerous Drugs, and Youth and Sports Development, he shares valuable insights on furthering agendas that could benefit Filipinos and the country’s various sectors. His active participation in the legislative process reassures the audience of his commitment to serving the public and advancing the nation’s interests.
He also principally authored 306 bills and co-authored 80 others. The subject and intent of his bills are a balance of both local and national concerns. Among the local concerns, he has filed numerous bills on improving district-wide infrastructure, education, commerce, health and safety and social development programs.
On the national front, he led the technical working group that finalized the amendment bill to further strengthen the country’s Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. He has elevated his passion for improving the overall development of Filipino athletes through the Philippine National Games. He has also led several congressional investigations, notably the preservation and protection of the Palompon Watershed and Forest Reserve in the Fourth District, and the investigations on the BOSS Ironman accidents and most recently, on the eradication of illegal e-sabong operators.
Furthermore, Rep. Gomez also remembers his roots as an actor and takes the necessary steps to preserve the industry’s legacy and culture. As such, he filed House Bill 00936 to create the National Film Archive, to be managed by the Film Development Council of the Philippines.
With Rep. Gomez at the helm and leading the Fourth District of Leyte, the district continues to flourish and sets new standards that will benefit Filipinos in the long run as they witness the results of good governance.
