{{Short description|Philippine politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Abigail Valte | image = <!-- Add an image file name if available --> | office = Presidential Deputy Spokesperson | term_start = July 1, 2010 | term_end = January 1, 2016 | president = Benigno S. Aquino III | predecessor = Rogelio Peyuan | successor = China Jocson | office2 = Undersecretary, Office of the President | term_start2 = <!-- Add start date if known --> | term_end2 = <!-- Add end date if known --> | birth_name = Abigail dela Fuente | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|12|23}} | birth_place = <!-- Add birth place if known --> | party = <!-- Add political party if applicable --> | spouse = Gerard Valte | children = Inaki Valte | alma_mater = {{ubl|De La Salle University (AB)|Ateneo de Manila University (JD)}} | occupation = Lawyer, Government Official | profession = Lawyer | website = <!-- Add personal or professional website if available --> }}
'''Abigail''' "'''Abi'''" '''dela Fuente Valte''' (born 23 December 1980) is a lawyer who served as the former Deputy Presidential Spokesman of Philippine President Benigno Aquino III.<ref>{{cite web | author=Government of the Philippines | author-link=Government of the Philippines | title =Statement of Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte on the week of January 20-24, 2014 | url=https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2014/01/25/statement-of-deputy-presidential-spokesperson-abigail-valte-on-the-week-of-january-20-24-2014/ | date=25 January 2014 | accessdate = 8 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | author =Government of the Philippines | title =Directory - Office of the President | url =http://www.pcoo.gov.ph/dir-op.htm | accessdate =8 July 2015 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20150708211318/http://www.pcoo.gov.ph/dir-op.htm | archive-date =2015-07-08 | url-status =dead }}</ref>
==Education== Valte earned a degree in A.B. Philosophy from De La Salle University in 2002. In 2003, she was admitted to the Ateneo Law School; she successfully completed its Juris Doctor program in 2007. She was entered to the Integrated Bar of the Philippines in May 2008.
==Career== {{BLP unreferenced section|date=July 2015}} Valte was a Junior Associate for Litigation and Labor at Escudero Marasigan Vallente & E.H. Villareal, a law firm based in Pasig. She handled various cases within the scope of Family law, Estate law and Criminal Law. In November 2009, she volunteered at the media bureau of the Presidential campaign of Benigno S. Aquino III, and was eventually assigned as the unit head.
She entered government service on 1 July 2010, when she was appointed by President Benigno S. Aquino III as Deputy Presidential Spokesperson under the Office of the President. Valte was also tasked to be part of the Administration's study group on the Freedom of Information bill. In addition to her press duties, she was a member of the Open Data Philippines Task Force and served as Deputy Director General for Strategic Messaging of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Philippines 2015 National Organizing Committee. In June 2016, she received a Presidential Medal of Merit for her work in the Philippines' successful hosting of APEC from President Benigno S. Aquino III.
Valte was part of the Philippine Delegation to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, where the Philippines successfully presented its case against China, in relation to the South China Sea.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Esmaquel |first1=Paterno R |title=Powerhouse PH team vs China back in The Hague |url=https://www.rappler.com/philippines/113823-philippines-china-hague-start-hearing-merits/ |access-date=12 April 2021 |work=Rappler |date=24 November 2015 |language=en}}</ref> She was responsible for updating media on the developments in the hearings, because the arbitral proceedings were closed to media coverage.
She took a leave of absence as Deputy Presidential Spokesperson in January 2016 to focus on the campaign of Liberal Party presidential candidate for 2016 elections, Mar Roxas.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/554416/news/nation/valte-goes-on-leave-as-palace-spokesperson-to-do-campaign-work-for-roxas|title=Valte goes on leave as Palace spokesperson to do campaign work for Roxas|publisher=GMA News|date=February 8, 2016|accessdate=February 8, 2016}}</ref> As part of Roxas' core team, she served as his communications coordinator, ensuring that communications efforts of the different campaign units were in sync.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cupin |first1=Bea |title=Inside Balay: Who's who in the Roxas campaign |url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/124403-mar-roxas-campaign-team/ |access-date=12 April 2021 |work=Rappler |date=4 March 2016 |language=en}}</ref>
She is currently the COO of DDI Strategic Communications, a public affairs and communications consultancy based in the Philippines<ref>{{cite web |title=Home |url=http://www.ddistrat.com/ |website=DDI Strategic Communications |access-date=12 April 2021}}</ref> Valte is also a frequent speaker for communications capacity building workshops by the APEC Secretariat, aimed at helping host economies prepare communications and media strategies for their hosting year.
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Valte, Abigail}} Category:Living people Category:Members of the Presidential Communications Group of the Philippines Category:1980 births Category:De La Salle University alumni Category:Benigno Aquino III administration personnel Category:Ateneo de Manila University alumni Category:21st-century Filipino lawyers Category:21st-century Filipino women lawyers