Nathan Sergio
Biography
​Christened as David Casper Nathan Sergio y Arroyo, but to family and friends, he is simply “Nathan”.
Born to a middle-class family, Nathan is second of six children of Rudy Fabul Sergio and Meden Haber Arroyo, both of Buhi, Camarines Sur. His dad, Rudy, was also a municipal official, having served for many years as a Municipal Councilor and then as municipal Secretary. His mom, Meden, was a dedicated public school teacher, who taught for many years at the Buhi Central School. From his dad, Nathan learned the rudiments of politics and governance; and from His mom, he imbibed the qualities and values of a good citizen and Christian.
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Nathan has a distinguished career in government , having served for 27 years in various positions in both the executive and legislative branches of the City Government of Naga. His brand of service earned him national and local recognition.
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From 2007 to 2016, he was City Councilor of Naga, for three consecutive terms. During which terms, he introduced legislations that champions health care programs and promotes the rights and welfare of the less fortunate, notably: the blood donation program, the organ donation advocacy program, the creation of Persons with Disability Affairs Office, the mandatory increased annual budget for the Senior Citizens and the PWDs, and such other legislation. He likewise advocated for cultural heritage protection and increased government transparency.
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In 2010, he was chosen Bicol’s Regional Winner of “The Outstanding Councilor of the Philippines” (TOCP), sponsored by the Philippine Jaycees and the Office of Senator Edgardo Angara. In 2011, he was given the “Apolinario Mabini Award (Disabled Filipino of the Year)”, sponsored by the Phil. Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled, Inc. (PFRDI). The Blood Program he introduced, which he eventually implemented pro-bono as its Executive Director, was given national recognition thrice – the DOH National Sandugo Awards in years 2009, 2012 and 2013, among other recognitions. These are but proofs to the program’s superb handling and meeting the DOH-set annual targets for the city.​
Awarded by the Civil Service Commission, the Dangal ng Bayan is the highest award given to outstanding government employees for demonstrating exemplary conduct and ethical behavior.
Nathan with President Ramos after the Kaantabay sa Kauswagan Program was adjudged as the winner during the 1994 Galing Pook Awards
Program Presenter, Regional Workshop on Locally Initiated Training for Local Government Officials on Community Participation UNDP, CITINET & UMPAP Surabaya, Indonesia, 1997
Awarded by the Civil Service Commission, the Dangal ng Bayan is the highest award given to outstanding government employees for demonstrating exemplary conduct and ethical behavior.
From 1999 to 2007, Nathan served as Secretary to the Mayor (Assistant Department Head, Mayor’s Office). The first three years was during the city leadership of Mayor Cho Roco; the last five years was when Mayor Jesse Robredo returned to administer Naga City. In this post, he was not the typical office secretary, as aside from the usual secretary works, he was given other executive functions. He handled those issues and concerns that pertain to socio-economic, cultural and political matters. He was also in charge of the city's Special Projects, which were basically new road construction and road widening projects. The best example of these special projects is the now “Almeda Highway”, a new bypass road 4.5-kilometers in length, linking Diversion Road in Triangulo and Maharlika Highway in Del Rosario, bringing economic growth in that part of the city, and helping ease the traffic congestion along Concepcion area.
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From 1989 to 1999, Nathan served as the Chief of the Urban Poor Affairs Office (UPAO), an office he helped create, to implement his baby program, the “Kaantabay sa Kauswagan” Program, the program he designed to squarely address the issues and concerns of the urban poor sector of Naga, particularly the lack of security of land tenure, and their blighted living conditions. Though his leadership, the office was able to solve long-standing land tenure problems in the city, particularly in barangays Peñafrancia, Triangulo, Lerma, Tabuco, Mabolo, Sabang, Abella, and Sta. Cruz, benefitting thousands of poor families. In 1996, the “Kantabay sa Kauswagan” Program was cited by the United Nations Centre on Human Settlements (UNCHS) as ‘One of the world’s Top 40 Best Practices’. Earlier, in 1994, the same program was adjudged in the Galing Pook Awards, administered by the Local Government Academy (LGA) and the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), as “one of the best locally-designed programs replicable by the local government units in the Philippines.”
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​It was during Nathan’s UPAO stint that he received most of his national and local awards and recognition. In 1997, the Dangal ng Bayan Award conferred by the Civil Service Commission, the Model Public Servant of the Year Award by the Kilosbayan Foundation and by the GMA Foundation, and on the same year, he was recognized in his hometown, conferred by the LGU-Buhi, the Pamuntugan Golden Bell Award as Outstanding Buhinon. Two of the three Mayoral Awards conferred him were during these years he was the UPAO Chief. ​
Nathan took up a five-year course in Ateneo College and graduated in 1989 with a Liberal Arts and Commerce (LIACOM) degree, major in Accounting and English. He was a prominent student leader in his college years, having served as year representative, council treasurer, internal vice president, and ultimately, as the president of the Ateneo de Naga Student Council (ADENSCO). It was during his presidency in the Ateneo student council that he was chosen by most of his peers in the other city colleges and universities as Naga City Youth Mayor in 1988.​
Right after his graduation from college, Nathan was invited by the late City Mayor Jesse Robredo to work in the City Government. Nathan obliged. And so, his public service began in May 1989… And as they say, the rest is history. ​
Nathan is happily married to Nora Azor of San Jose, Camarines Sur. The couple is blessed with five children, namely: Ouiea Teresa, Jonah Grace, Job Emmanuel, Maria Rowena, and Althea Stella.