OIC GM Ces Lauta, Chairman Mike Macapagal, Director Henry Uri and Director Rondel Diaz

Chairman Michael Ted Macapagal of the Philippine National Railways hails the designation of Atty. Celeste D. Lauta as Officer-in-Charge to the office of the General Manager of PNR.

Lauta's designation came following the appointment of former PNR GM, Jeremy Regino, as undersecretary to the Department of Transportation. He replaced former undersecretary, Cesar Chavez, who was recently appointed presidential assistant for strategic communications.

Macapagal thanked DOTr Secretary Jaime J. Bautista for Lauta's designation, saying: "Atty Lauta is currently the Assistant GM of PNR. She is highly qualified and well-positioned to assume the leadership of our management team. I could not think of a better person to lead PNR in this momentous time in our agency's history."

The PNR is currently hard at work on the massive reconstruction of the Php 872 billion North-South-Commuter-Railway, a 147 kilometer stretch from Clark, Pampanga to Calamba, Laguna, which aims to bring the most modern and technologically advance railway system in the country.

Atty Lauta has been with the PNR since 2014 and has serve in various capacities, including as Chief Corporate Attorney, Manager of Legal Division, Manager of Corporate Planning, Assistant GM, GM-OIC and Corporate Secretary to the PNR Board.