Atty. Ruth B. Castelo

Undersecretary Ruth B. Castelo is a lawyer by profession, having been admitted to the Philippine Bar in 1994. She served eight years as the City Attorney for Marikina City and as a private practitioner in her own law firm handling various litigation cases, clients, and legal concerns.

Eventually, continued her career as a public servant when she was appointed as Undersecretary for the Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines and Undersecretary of the Competitiveness and Ease of Doing Business Group under the Department of Trade and Industry. She considered public service as a greater opportunity to impart her knowledge, expertise, and experience in the field of law and work on strengthening the partnership between the government and the industry stakeholders.

In 2018, she had to undertake a more challenging role when she was designated as the Undersecretary for the Consumer Protection Group (CPG). This has kept her busy looking into all areas of consumer protection in the country vis-à-vis how other countries in Asia and the western world are doing it; immersed herself in monitoring and enforcement activities, getting the pulse of consumers first-hand. She has been working on strengthening the consumer protection initiatives of the department and empowering consumers through education, amidst the global pandemic. Being a staunch advocate for the environment, she has been championing the Philippines’ sustainable development and consumption movement in conferences locally and abroad.

Undersecretary Castelo passionately believes that government service is a rare opportunity to contribute her least bit in nation building.