Justice Garcia's appointment to the High Court caps 42 years of government service, 14 of which were spent in the CA.

“The Court of Appeals is just a stone's throw away from this Court yet my journey from (the CA) to this Court is exceedingly long and arduous... And as I start my first official day in the (Supreme) Court I hope and pray - and probably pray even harder - that I shall be worthy of the great and noble tradition of this Court in ministering and administering justice to our country and people," Justice Garcia told officials and employees during the flag ceremony last October 18, his first day in the High Court.

Born on October 20, 1937 in Aligtagtag, Batangas to Juan Garcia and Benedicta Castillo, Justice Garcia began his government career in 1962 with the legal Office of the Office of the President.

Justice Garcia worked as Solicitor in the Office of the Solicitor General in 1972 before he joined the Judiciary as City Judge of Branch 1, Caloocan City in 1974. He was appointed Regional Trial Court Judge in Angeles City and then in Caloocan City.

In 1998, Justice Garcia returned to the Executive Branch as Assistant Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs. He rejoined the Judiciary in December 1990 as an Associate Justice of the CA. He served at that post until March 13, 2001. He was later appointed Acting Presiding Justice, a position he held twice -from March 14, to July 29, 2001 and April 11, 2002 to April 8, 2003 - before he was finally named CA Presiding Justice on April 9, 2003.

Justice Garcia completed his elementary education at the P. Gomez Elementary School and his secondary education at the Arellano (Public) High School, both in Manila. He finished college at the University of the Philippines, where also got his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1961.

Justice Garcia obtained a post-graduate degree in Public Administration as a government scholar from the University of Santo Tomas in 1967 He took a special course at the Harvard Law School in June 2000. He co-authored the book A Study of the Philippines Constitution with Justice Jose A. R. Melo, Professor Perfecto V. Fernandez, and Judge Aloysius Alday.

An Ulirang Ama Sectoral Awardee 2002 for Law and Judiciary, Justice Garcia is married to the former Emeteria L. Reyes. They are blessed with four children. Justice Garcia, a recipient of the Parangal ng Bayan Award in Law and Judiciary, took his oath of office on October 15, a few minutes after the inauguration of the CA Cebu City Station.