Atty. Johann Carlos Barcena, CESO III has started his term as Privacy Commissioner and chair of the National Privacy Commission (NPC), agency officials said. Barcena assumed office on Dec. 11 after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed him to lead the country’s data protection regulator.
Barcena is a career public servant with experience in governance oversight. He previously served as executive director at the Governance Commission for Government‑Owned or Controlled Corporations (GCG), where he worked on initiatives to improve transparency, performance standards, and accountability across government corporations.
In his new role, Barcena is expected to oversee enforcement of the Data Privacy Act of 2012, strengthen regulatory and compliance systems, and build partnerships to support responsible data handling as technology evolves. The NPC said it supports Barcena’s leadership in efforts to protect personal data and maintain public confidence in the country’s digital environment.
Barcena’s appointment follows a line of previous NPC commissioners. The NPC’s first head was Raymund Liboro, appointed in 2016 after the Data Privacy Act took effect. Liboro helped establish the agency’s policy frameworks, including the Act’s implementing rules and regulations, and guided its early work in data protection.
John Henry Naga served as NPC commissioner before Barcena. Naga took on the role in late 2021 and led the commission through several years of enforcing data privacy rules and engaging with stakeholders across government and industry.