Paquito Ochoa Jr.
A quiet legal architect who shaped the daily operations of the Philippine presidency, steering policy from behind the scenes.
Born 1960 (age 66)·Filipino lawyer·Birthday: November 11·Baby Boomers
Biography
Paquito Ochoa Jr., known to many as Jojo, built a career on meticulous governance rather than public spectacle. His path to national influence was paved in Quezon City, where he served as city administrator for nearly a decade, mastering the granular details of urban management. That deep administrative experience made him the natural choice for President Benigno Aquino III, who appointed Ochoa as Executive Secretary in 2010. In that role, often described as the president's chief operating officer, Ochoa was the steady hand managing the cabinet, coordinating policy implementation, and navigating the complex bureaucracy of Malacañang Palace. His low-profile, efficiency-driven approach defined an era of Aquino's 'Straight Path' governance, proving that impact in government often comes not from the podium but from the persistent work of ensuring the machinery of state actually functions.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Paquito was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Paquito Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Paquito's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the 37th Executive Secretary of the Philippines under President Benigno Aquino III from 2010 to 2016.
- Managed the Office of the President and coordinated the entire Cabinet as the President's chief of staff.
- Steered Quezon City's government for nine years as its City Administrator from 2001 to 2010.
Did You Know?
He is a licensed pilot and has flown small aircraft.
He is a graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Law.
His father, Paquito Ochoa Sr., was a former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
“Good governance is built on the quiet, daily work of getting things right.”
