07/12/2025
ATTY. FLORANTE A ZAGADA
GUEST SPEAKER
3rd ANGATkaG**O AWARDS 2025
Atty. Florante A. Zagada is a distinguished litigation lawyer, law professor, ordained pastor, immigration consultant, and chaplain whose career spans more than three decades of service in the fields of law, education, and ministry. Born and raised in Iriga City, he has built a life and profession anchored on faith, public service, and lifelong learning. He is married to Yolanda O. Duterte, and together they are blessed with three children—Marielle, James, and Bernadette.
A member of the Philippine Bar since 1990 (Roll No. 36479), Atty. Zagada passed the 1989 Bar Examinations and began his legal practice as an associate of the Gupit, Navarrete, Diaz & Delima Law Offices in Makati. He later served as Senior Partner at the Chavez and Zagada Law Offices in Manila before establishing his own private practice, the Florante A. Zagada Law Office and Immigration Consultancy, with branches in Pasay, Makati, and Cavite. His work includes extensive litigation, appellate practice before the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court, and legal consulting for various organizations.
In academia, Atty. Zagada is a respected legal educator. Since 2015, he has served as Professor of Law and Bar Reviewer at the Philippine Christian University–College of Law in Dasmariñas City, teaching Criminal Law, Remedial Law, Christian and Legal Values, and review subjects. He previously spent seven years as a law professor and reviewer at the Philippine Cambridge School of Law and currently teaches Family Code and Human Rights at the Pearl of the Orient International Theological Seminary and Colleges, where he also serves as Legal Adviser and Chaplain.
His educational background reflects consistent academic excellence. He earned his Master of Divinity (MDiv) from Pearl of the Orient Seminary (2025), his Bachelor of Laws (LLB) with Academic Distinction from the University of Nueva Caceres (1989), and his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Northeastern Philippines (1985), where he also received the Leadership and Loyalty Awards.
A committed servant-leader in the Christian community, Atty. Zagada is an Ordained Pastor of Light at the Crossroads Church in Singapore and has served as a resource speaker in numerous international and local conferences, legal forums, and church events. His lectures cover topics such as family law, marriages, human rights, child protection, and the integration of Christian and professional life, with engagements in Japan, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, and various regions in the Philippines.
His achievements have been recognized by several award-giving bodies. He is a recipient of the Excellence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Legal Education (Angat Ka G**o, 2024), the Outstanding and Remarkable Lawyer of the Year Award (Instabright International Guild, 2024), and the Humanitarian Heroic Heritage International Achiever Award as Trusted Lawyer and Minister (World Council International, 2025). He also served as Evaluator for the Global Awards for International Leaders and Icons in 2025.
Beyond law and ministry, he is an active writer, producing online Bible and legal reflections that reach a growing community of readers through his social media platforms. He continues to serve as Chairman of the Board of Christian Literature Crusade in Valenzuela, Legal Adviser of the Servants of God Fellowship of Pastors in Imus, and Chaplain and Legal Adviser of Pearl of the Orient Seminary.
Throughout his career, Atty. Florante A. Zagada has remained steadfast in his mission to uphold justice, educate future lawyers, guide communities in faith, and serve the public with integrity, compassion, and wisdom.