Hon. Katherine Chloe “Kat” Sinsuat De Castro is a woman relentless in her pursuit of truth. Her journey to becoming the first female Director General of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) is a testament to this.
After finishing high school in 1995, Kat pursued a degree in Communication at Miriam College (Batch 2001). She recalls how tight-knit the community was, making it inevitable to form friendships across different programs—many of which have endured through the years.
Kat also reflects on how the community nurtured their passions through shared classes, including her former classmates Juris Fernandez and Nina Girado of MYMP, who have since distinguished themselves in the music industry.
Her years at Miriam College helped shape her into a person of integrity—one who stands for truth above all. This is one of the core values she carried with her as she embarked on her professional journey.
Kat followed in the footsteps of her parents and started as a news reporter for ABS-CBN, with a focus on the terrorism beat. She recalls covering stories across various parts of the Philippines and abroad, and her steadfast refusal to compromise her reporting standards, which earned her the respect of her peers.
With her proven credibility and unwavering commitment to truth, among Kat’s industry milestones are her appointment as Undersecretary for Tourism Advocacy and Public Affairs at the Department of Tourism (DOT) in 2016, and her role as President of Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC-13) two years later. She also served as General Manager of the People’s Television Network (PTV) in 2020, where her expertise as a communicator helped ensure the dissemination of timely and reliable information to Filipinos during the pandemic.
Her advocacy for transparency found a steady home in the field of development communication. In 2024, Kat assumed the role of Director-General of the PIA. Today, she continues to play a crucial role in bringing news and information closer to the Filipino people: “We make sure that even the farmer, the simplest folk, the simplest Filipino, even those living in far-flung barrios, understand what the government is doing for them in times of crisis.”
For this reason, Kat believes that her servant-leadership role at PIA—and being the first woman to hold this position—is her most fulfilling accomplishment. More than titles or milestones, however, she takes greatest pride in being able to pursue what she is most passionate about.
Learning—especially a Miriam education—never stops for Kat, as reflected in her continuing commitment to excellence in public service. She has been enrolled in the Master of Integrated Marketing Communications program at Miriam since the previous year.
Kat hopes that more graduates from Miriam College will consider careers in public service. Her advice for Knollers who wish to lead as public servants is to stay true to the community’s core values: “Please make sure na hindi ka magpapakain sa sistema (that you will not be consumed by the system),” she emphasizes. “Whatever Miriam College instilled in you when you were still a student, make sure you carry it with you when you enter government service. And […] if you are able to uphold integrity, truth, and justice, then […] you can bring about meaningful change in government.”
For Kat, a Miriam graduate is resilient: “You can throw us in whatever industry, we will survive and come out on top.”
