Wes Gatchalian

Wes Gatchalian (full name: Weslie Ting Gatchalian) is the mayor of Valenzuela City, having been elected in 2022, succeeding his brother Rex. Before this, Wes was a member of the House of Representatives as a party list and district representative.

He took up business administration at Bryant University, and business and operations management at Oxford Brookes University. He earned his master's degree from London Metropolitan University, and took up an executive course on legislation at the University of the Philippines.

His first venture in politics was in 2007, when he ran for congressman of the city's 2nd District. While his brothers won as mayor and first district representative, he lost to then-reelectionist congressman Magtanggol Gunigundo. He finally got a congressional seat as the nominee of Alay Buhay Partylist in 2013, and was elected representative of Valenzuela's 1st District in 2016. He was reelected as a district representative in 2019. While in Congress, he voted in favor of the death penalty bill in 2017, and rejected the franchise renewal of media network ABS-CBN in 2020.

In 2022, he became the third Gatchalian to be elected mayor since Valenzuela achieved cityhood in 1998. He is the youngest brother of incumbent senator Sherwin Gatchalian and Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian. He initiated the establishment of the Wellness, Entertainment, and Sports (WES) Arena and the WES Events Space in the city.

Outside politics, he had worked in family businesses. He was assistant to the president of Waterfront Hotels and Casinos in Manila and occupied various executive positions at The Wellex Group, NPC Alliance Corporation, Metro Alliance Holdings and Equities Corp, and Forum Pacific Incorporated. He was also a management trainee at The Shipowners Mutual in London, Lloyds of London, and PCI Bank.

The Office of the Ombudsman recommended in 2016 the filing of various criminal charges against Gatchalian and others for the alleged irregularities in the Local Water Utilities Authority’s purchase of Express Savings Bank Inc., which was owned by the Gatchalians.

He is married to Tiffany Princess Chua.