Sharon S. Garin is a Filipino politician who has served as the

secretary of energy The United States secretary of energy is the head of the United States Department of Energy, a member of the Cabinet of the United States and fifteenth in the presidential line of succession. The position was created on October 1, 1977, when P ...

since 2025 as an

officer in charge Officer in Charge (usually "OIC") is a very widely used term which may refer to: * Duty officer * Officer in Charge (Philippines), interim position in the context of Philippine governance. See also * Officer Commanding ("OC") * Commanding officer ( ...

. She previously served as an undersecretary in the

Department of Energy A ministry of energy or department of energy is a government department in some countries that typically oversees the production of fuel and electricity; in the United States, however, it manages nuclear weapons development and conducts energy-rela ...

from 2022 to 2025, and as the representative for the AAMBIS-Owa Party List from 2010 to 2022. Born to a longtime

political dynasty A political family (also referred to as political dynasty) is a family in which multiple members are involved in politics — particularly electoral politics. Members may be related by blood or marriage; often several generations or multiple sibl ...

based in Iloilo's first district, Garin was first elected to the

House of Representatives of the Philippines The House of Representatives (; '','' thus commonly referred to as ''Kamara'') is the lower house of Congress of the Philippines, Congress, the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, with the Senate of the Philippines as the upper house. The ...

in 2010. During her tenure, she served as a

deputy speaker Deputy or depute may refer to: * Steward (office) * Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy" * Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including: ** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spain ...

from 2016 to 2019, and chaired the

Philippine House Committee on Economic Affairs The Philippine House Committee on Economic Affairs, or House Economic Affairs Committee is a standing committee of the Philippine House of Representatives. Jurisdiction As prescribed by House Rules, the committee's jurisdiction is on the econ ...

from 2019 to 2020 and again from 2021 to 2022. After leaving Congress, she joined the Department of Energy in 2022 as an undersecretary, during which she pursued efforts toward attaining nuclear power in the Philippines. In 2025, President

Bongbong Marcos Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. (, , ; born September 13, 1957), commonly referred to by the initials BBM or PBBM, is a Filipino politician who has served as the 17th president of the Philippines since 2022. He is the second child ...

appointed Garin as secretary of energy as an officer in charge.

Early life

Garin is the daughter of Oscar Garin Sr. and Ninfa Serag Garin, the heads of a

that has dominated the politics of Iloilo's first district since 1987.

House of Representatives of the Philippines (2010–2022)

Elections

Garin was elected to the

in 2010 as the first nominee of the AAMBIS-Owa Party List. The party went on to retain the seat in the 2013 and 2016 elections. Despite Garin being term-limited, the party renominated her in 2019. In the lead-up to the election, watchdog group

Kontra Daya Kontra Daya (Against Fraud) is an election watchdog based in the Philippines. The organization counts teachers, members of the clergy, information technology experts, and activists among its members. Member organizations include scientists' organi ...

criticized her party and others for having "bastardized and corrupted" the party-list system. Her party went on to win a seat in the election; while their certificate of proclamation was suspended, she was later allowed to sit as a member of the 18th Congress.

Tenure

As a representative, media outlets described Garin as a low-profile but seasoned member of the chamber. In 2017, Garin attracted media attention for bringing consultant Althea Acas to tears during a tense Ways and Means Committee hearing concerning the management of the

Bureau of Customs The Bureau of Customs (BoC or BOC; ) is a Philippine government agency that is responsible for the collecting of customs, customs duties, excise duties, and other indirect taxes in the Philippines. It is part of the Department of Finance (Philip ...

. In 2020, she introduced a bill pushing for the mandatory donation of edible food surplus for charitable purposes and the creation of food banks to minimize food waste in the country. On July 22, 2019, Garin was elected as the chairperson of the

. With Garin being an ally of

Lord Allan Velasco Lord Allan Jay Quinto Velasco (born November 9, 1977) is a Filipino politician and lawyer who served as the Speaker of the House of Representatives from October 12, 2020 to June 2022. He is concurrently serving as the Representative of Marin ...

, Speaker

Alan Peter Cayetano Alan Peter Schramm Cayetano ( Tagalog pronunciation: ajɛˈtano born October 28, 1970) is a Filipino lawyer, diplomat, and politician serving as a senator since 2022 and previously from 2007 to 2017. He was the Senate Minority Leader from 2 ...

ousted her from the position on October 6, 2020, amid a leadership challenge from Velasco. In response to her removal, Garin criticized Speaker Cayetano for having "no honor" and accused him of excessive political maneuvering. She further criticized the subsequent election of Teodorico Haresco Jr., who was not a party-list representative, as her successor as the chairperson of her committee. On May 18, 2021, Garin was returned to her role as chairperson of the Philippine House Committee on Economic Affairs.

Undersecretary of Energy (2022–2025)

On September 16, 2022, Energy Secretary

Raphael Lotilla Raphael Perpetuo "Popo'" Mercado Lotilla (born June 16, 1958) is a Filipino lawyer, businessman, and government official serving as the 33rd secretary of environment and natural resources (''ad interim'', pending Commission on Appointments app ...

appointed Garin as an undersecretary in the

. During her tenure, she oversaw the Financial Services Bureau, managed the Legal Services Bureau, supervised the Nuclear Energy Program Interagency Committee, and served as the Department Legislative Liaison Officer. She has been instrumental in improving the department's financial stability and operational effectiveness through enhanced budgeting and accounting operations. She has advocated for revising the omnibus guidelines for awarding renewable energy service contracts, aiming to streamline the process for project proponents. Her focus has been on allowing developers to concentrate on project construction without being impeded by administrative obstacles. During the 68th Regular Session of the

International Atomic Energy Agency The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology, nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was ...

, Garin announced the department's goal of establishing commercially operational nuclear power plants by 2032, aiming to contribute to the country's power supply.

Secretary of Energy (OIC; since 2025)

On May 23, 2025, President

appointed Garin as

as an

, having reassigned Secretary Lotilla to the

Department of Environment and Natural Resources The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR; ) is the Executive Departments of the Philippines, executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the conservation, management, development, and proper use of the cou ...

during a major cabinet reshuffle. Key power distributor

Meralco The Manila Electric Company, also known as Meralco (, , stylized in uppercase), is an electric power distribution company in the Philippines. It is Metro Manila's only electric power distributor and holds the power distribution franchise for 3 ...

welcomed Garin's interim appointment to the role, owing to her support for nuclear energy and her role "on top of the nuclear agenda". In contrast, major publications, including the ''

Manila Bulletin The ''Manila Bulletin'' () (also known as the ''Bulletin'' and previously known as the ''Manila Daily Bulletin'' from 1906 to September 23, 1972, and the ''Bulletin Today'' from November 22, 1972, to March 10, 1986) is the Philippines' largest ...

'' and the '' Daily Tribune'', met the change of leadership in the Department of Energy with skepticism, having regarded the agency as among the "steadiest-performing" under Lotilla's "technocratic" leadership. The latter newspaper expressed further scrutiny of Garin's dynastic history and deemed her appointment as a possible reward for her family's support for Marcos during the

2022 Philippine general election The 2022 Philippine general election took place on May 9, 2022, for the executive and legislative branches of government at every levelnational, provincial, and localexcept for the barangay officials. At the top of the ballot is the election fo ...

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Garin, Sharon Bongbong Marcos administration personnel 21st-century Filipino lawyers Filipino accountants University of the Philippines alumni Ateneo de Manila University alumni Party-list members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines Living people Women members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines Politicians from Iloilo Year of birth missing (living people)