JOSEPH VICTOR G. EJERCITO’s prominence as a public figure started even before he was born.  Being born to known businesswoman and philanthropist, Guia Gomez, and the Republic’s 13th President, Joseph Ejercito Estrada, who has just won his mayoralty bid in San Juan then, JV is considered a “victory baby”, as his name suggests.  He was raised and has grown to be a humble and God fearing individual, a loving son, a budding entrepreneur, a dedicated civic and youth leader and an accomplished public servant

His childhood years were nothing out of the extraordinary. He grew up in the company of friends, mostly children living around the municipal hall where he frequented. This exposed him to the true conditions of a typical “Masang Pilipino”.

JV is a proud alumnus of Xavier School where he completed his elementary and high school education. He credits his ability to converse in the Chinese language to the Jesuit school. He finished college from the De La Salle University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree, Major in Political Science. He has espoused the Jesuit and La Sallite values which explains why in spite of being the son of two famous personalities and born with a silver spoon in his mouth, JV never manifested even a trace of haughtiness and pride in himself as he was raised to be a humble and God-fearing individual, a loving son, and grew up to be a dedicated civic and youth leader and an accomplished public servant.  He wanted to pursue a degree in law but found his calling in business, the job that he does best.

He is also a commissioned reserve officer of the Philippine Marine Corps with the rank of a Major. He is an adopted son of Class ’88 “Maringal” of the  Philippine Military Academy.

Armed with adeptness in decent managerial, directorial skills, political aptitude and a benevolent personality, JV emerged to become one of the best if not the best leaders of San Juan of all time and one of the well-accomplished town leaders of the Philippines.  JV’s multiple tasks as Mayor, from being a person in command to being an ally, whose helping hands are always open to personally heed to all the needs of his constituents have been successfully carried out.

As national president of the Philippine Jaycees in 1998, he was acclaimed as the Most Outstanding National Jaycee President for Asia and the Pacific during the 53rd Junior Chamber International World Congress held in Manila and was named as one of the “Top Ten Newsmakers of the Year” by various major dailies.

JV was also the National Chairman of the Kabataan ng Masang Pilipino (KAMPIL), the youth arm of the Lapian ng Masang Pilipino. He immediately made a mark when, during the very first party-list elections in 1998, he ran as KAMPIL candidate (to represent the youth sector) and won a sizeable vote. He could have qualified for a house seat had he not decided to withdraw owing to false allegations that he used presidential influence to win a favorable resolution from the Commission on Elections.

JV is the national founder of one of the biggest and militant organizations devoted to drug eradication, the Mamamayan Ayaw sa Droga or MAD. His campaign has helped reduce drug abuse, scared drug peddlers and inspired users to rebuild their lives at rehabilitation centers.

In 2001, there was a great clamor from the San Juaneños to have him as their leader, following the footsteps of his father, JV conquered the local spotlight.  He was handily elected as Mayor for the Municipality of San Juan, at the time when President Joseph Estrada relinquished the Philippine Presidency.

From then on and albeit all the odds, Mayor JV has emerged as one of the best, if not the best performing local chief executives by spearheading San Juan’s economic boom.

He is on his third and last term as Mayor of the City of San Juan, garnering the highest number of votes in the electoral history of San Juan in the May 2007 polls, JV exudes an exceptional ability and willpower to execute the approved ordinances and resolutions as the Chief Executive of San Juan while at the same time doing everything he can to live up to his promise of easing the problems of the poor. He has spearheaded numerous youth organizations and foundations and has been instrumental in sending hundreds of children to school through his scholarship program.

As a local government chief executive, his title requires him to exercise general supervision and control over all programs and projects of the municipal government, determine policies, direct the formulation of its development plan, enforce all laws and ordinance relative to governance, initiate and maximize generation of resources and revenues, and ensure delivery of basic services to his constituents.

The support he solicited from the business sector and non-government agencies with so much trust and confidence to his administration had been his powerful weapon. Major projects like the renovation and reformation of the local museum and his scholarship foundation were successfully accomplished without a single centavo from the local budget.

JV has managed to boost the economy of San Juan, with an astounding increase in the municipal revenue; his administration has augmented its resources to efficiently implement all the municipal projects.

The conversion of the Municipality into a full –fledged and highly urbanized City of San Juan on June 17, 2007, is by far, one of his greatest achievements.

Not wanting to just rely on his family’s wealth, JV worked his way to become a successful entrepreneur as he ventured into various business undertakings ranging from courier business to restaurants and catering services, infrastructure development to television, movie and musical production. Among these productions were the Angat Pinoy millennial concert at the Luneta on New Year’s Day with world-class Filipino artists and the Manila version of Miss Saigon, the musical which publicized the Filipino genius in music around the world with a mainly Filipino cast headed by international star Lea Salonga and scene-stealer Leo Valdez. His aim was to make Manila as Asia’s Broadway capital.

JV is not just a city mayor. He is a young man of action, with excellent skills, exceptional talent, brilliant vision and genuine concern to humanity. JV Ejercito is one of the best leaders San Juan has ever produced and is considered to be one of the well-accomplished and outstanding local leaders in the country.