Jerricho Garcia was born in Calinan, Davao and is the third child of Jerry and Helen Grace Garcia. He is partly of Chinese descent, with a great-grandmother bearing the family name Go.

Description and symbolism:

The rose originally symbolized the armiger’s devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, who is associated with a miracle of the roses. The armiger appreciates its simplicity. The rose is also canting to his given name, Jerricho, which is derived from the Canaanite word for “fragrant”. The bear is a canting reference to his family name, Garcia, which traces to a Basque word for the animal. The eagle symbolizes his patron saint, St. John the Apostle, as well as his home of Davao City. The four colors are taken from the flag of the Philippines and of China and reflect his heritage.

The crest signifies the bearer is a knight of the Militia of the Immaculata, founded by St. Maximilian Kolbe.

The original motto, Dominus Fortitudo, was a common statement of faith. A replacement motto was later adopted, Esse quam videri, taken from Cicero’s “On Friendship”. To the Armiger, the literal meaning “to be, rather than to seem” resonates as a call to authenticity: it emphasizes the importance of not doing good deeds merely for the sake of appearances. It is a call to always strive to be good and aim for complete goodness. It further alludes to the Latin corollary, Bonum ex integra causa, malum ex quocumque defecto (“To be good, you need to be entirely good; to be evil, you only have to have a little bad in you”), further reinforcing the importance of authenticity and genuine goodness, both in oneself and in interactions with others.

Blazon: Shield: Quarterly Gules and Azure, in the first and fourth quarters a rose Or, in the second a bear statant erect Argent, in the third an eagle displayed Argent, overall a cross Or.

Crest: A dexter arm embowed vambraced Or grasping a sword Argent hilted Or.

Motto: Dominus Fortitudo (“The Lord is [my] Strength”); later modified to Esse quam videri (“To be, rather than to seem”).

Assumed/granting authority: Assumed, July 12, 2021. Registered, Philippine Armorial, July 17, 2021. New motto assumed March 11, 2024.

Information and image submitted by the Armiger.