Alexis Collera Castro (born September 27, 1985), better known as Alex Castro, is a Filipino model, singer, actor and politician currently serving as the Vice Governor of Bulacan since 2022. He is previously a member of the Bulacan Provincial Board from the 4th district from 2016 to 2022. He also served as a municipal councilor of Marilao from 2007 to 2013 and chairman of Sangguniang Kabataan in Barangay Lias, Marilao from 2002 to 2007.[1] As a talent, he signed with GMA Network, yet later transferred to its rival network ABS-CBN, then returned to GMA after eleven years.
Early life
Castro was born on September 27, 1985, in Quezon City to Angel Gonzales Castro and Susan Collera Castro. His family moved to Marilao, Bulacan during his childhood. He graduated from pre-school and elementary school at the St. Michael School of Marilao. He later completed his high school education at the Jesus is Lord Colleges Foundation in Bocaue.[2]
Political career
In 2002, at age 17, Castro was elected Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chairman of Barangay Lias, Marilao, Bulacan. Not long after, he was elected as the SK Federation president of Marilao, making him an ex-officio member of the Sangguniang Bayan of Marilao. He was awarded as the “Most Outstanding SK Federation President” and with the Gintong Kabataan Award in the Gintong Kabataan Awards in 2005. While fulfilling his duties, he obtained his Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication degree from the Far Eastern University in 2006.[2]
In 2007, he was eventually elected as the youngest municipal councilor of Marilao. He was re-elected in 2010, the same year that he was conferred as 2010 Gawad Galing Sanggunian's “Outstanding Councilor in Bulacan”. Two years later, he was again recognized as “Outstanding Councilor in the Philippines” by the People’s Choice Awards for 2013.[1] In 2013, he unsuccessfully ran for vice mayor of Marilao as the running mate of Tito Santiago, the outgoing vice mayor who was eventually elected as mayor.[3]
He was elected to the Bulacan Provincial Board as a member from the 4th district in 2016. During his first term, he was concurrently serving as the President of National Movement of Young Legislators (NMYL) for Region III. He was then re-elected in 2019 and was named as NMYL's National Assistant Secretary General early in his second term. He was awarded by Gawad Filipino as the Outstanding Public Servant of the Year in 2021.[2][4]
He ran for vice governor of Bulacan in 2022 as the running mate of incumbent governorDaniel Fernando and they both won.[5][6] He was named as the National Chairman of NMYL and the Regional Chairman of the League of Vice Governors of the Philippines for Central Luzon for 2022–2025.[2][7]
Contestant at Are You The Next Big Star?
Castro contested Are You the Next Big Star? on GMA Network in 2009. He advanced to the final round alongside Camille Cortez, Geoff Taylor, and Frencheska Farr, who would eventually won the contest.
