Meet Jeff Ortega, the newly-appointed Youth Commission chair
Hailing from a family with deep political roots, Joseph Francisco “Jeff” Ortega has made a name for himself in the Ilocos region tourism industry.
On Aug. 29, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed the 34-year-old as the new chairperson of the National Youth Commission (NYC), taking over the post from Ronald Cardema.
In a statement, the Presidential Communications Office said Marcos is "confident" that with Ortega, NYC will "continue to be a vital force in shaping the future of the nation."
It further highlighted his background in tourism and youth advocacy. But who is Jeff Ortega?
Born into politics
Ortega, born on March 19, 1990, is the son of Manuel “Manoling” Ortega, La Union’s former provincial governor. His brother, Francisco Emmanuel “Pacoy” Ortega III, also served in the same capacity before being succeeded by his daughter, Raphaelle Ortega-David.
His family’s political history goes back to American colonial rule when Don Joaquin Ortega took his place as the first civil governor of La Union appointed by the Taft Commission on August 15, 1901.
Youngest tourism regional director
Six years after graduating from Ateneo de Manila University with a bachelor’s degree in political science, Ortega served as the youngest director of the Department of Tourism Ilocos Region since 2019 before his youth commission chair appointment.
In an Instagram post on Sep. 2, 2019 then 29-year-old Ortega shared pictures from his oath-taking ceremony and wrote in his caption: “Finally assumed my post as the youngest Regional Director for Tourism in the Philippines today. Thank you to President Rodrigo Duterte for strengthening the youth and giving us an opportunity to serve the Filipino people.”
However, a year into his position, Ortega drew flak online for introducing Marcos as the country’s vice president during a regional tourism event. In 2016, Marcos lost against Atty. Leni Robredo for the vice presidency.
Long-time boyfriend of Jasmine Curtis
In 2016, Ortega and Filipino-Australian actress Jasmine Curtis-Smith went public with their relationship. In an interview on Magandang Buhay, the two shared that they had known each other for a while before becoming a couple as Ortega used to hang out with Georgina Wilson and Isabelle Daza’s sisters, his “distant cousins,” when he was younger.
In 2020, there were rumors that the couple had already broken up, but to this day, Ortega and Curtis-Smith are still together with marriage as their end goal, as the latter shared earlier this year in an episode of Fast Talk with Boy Abunda.
A serial tourism entrepreneur
Despite having lived most of his life in Metro Manila, one of Ortega’s passions is the sea. He loves riding the waves in his home province, and his multiple tourism businesses reflect this
In 2011, he founded and established La Union Surf School in partnership with surf brand Stoked Inc. and Ripcurl Philippines. He also has a burger restaurant called Mad Monkey and ran the music festival Soul Surf, which brought international music acts to La Union and boosted the coastal town’s tourism.
Ortega recently obtained his master’s degree in business administration from the Ateneo Graduate School of Business in 2023.
