Hailing from Tacloban City, Leyte, Justice Jose Calayag Reyes, Jr. was appointed on August 9, 2018 as the 179th Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
Justice Reyes is a graduate of AB Political Science and Bachelor of Laws, both in San Beda College, in 1970 and 1977, respectively.
Even before becoming a member of the bar, Justice Reyes already embarked in a career path in the judiciary when he became a technical assistant to then Chief Justice Felix V. Makasiar for seven (7) years, beginning in 1978. Upon Justice Makasiar’s retirement, Justice Reyes transferred to the Office of the Chief Attorney as a Court Attorney III until he was appointed as Presiding Judge of the Metropolitan Trial Court of Pasig, where he served for four (4) years. Later on, he became a Presiding Judge of the Regional Trial Court of San Mateo, Rizal for twelve (12) years from 1991 to 2003, where he also served as Executive Judge for eight (8) years and a Special Court Judge to try and decide heinous crimes for seven (7) years. In 2003, he was appointed as an Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals, where he served for fifteen (15) years. In 2015 up until his appointment to the Supreme Court, Justice Reyes served as Chairman of the appellate court’s Fourth (4th) Division.
Justice Reyes is also a pillar in the academe, having been a professor at the College of Business and Economics in De La Salle University for four (4) decades now. De La Salle University awarded him as the Most Outstanding Part-Time Faculty for School Year 2001-2002. He was also given the Juan Medrano Service Award for dedicated service in the mission of Christian Education and long-term contribution as a La Sallian co-worker and partner. He is also a treasured Professorial Lecturer II of the Philippine Judicial Academy, Remedial Law Department, from January 2008 up to present.
His professional career did not prevent him from being equally active in church and community service. He is an active Eucharistic Minister of Villa San Miguel Chapel in Mandaluyong City, a Team Leader of the Christian Life Program of Couples for Christ in the Court of Appeals, a Christian Life Program Speaker in courts and government offices under the Moral Recovery Program of the government, a Board Member of the Couples for Christ St. Thomas More and Associates Ministry that advocates good governance and good citizenship, an Alumnus of the John Haggai Institute, Mid-Pacific Center, Kihei, Hawaii, United States of America that conducts evangelization training for Christian leaders, and a Luzon North Deputy and Supreme Director of the Knights of Columbus.
Source: http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/377