Gabriel C. Ortigoza, Ph.D. is the youngest son of Marcelo Ortigoza, a Korean Veteran, and Daisy Ortigoza, a retired teacher. He is married to Gemma Geronima Tankiamco and was blessed with two sons Gamiel and Gamaliel.

Gabriel finished his primary and secondary education at Southern Baptist College and his tertiary education at Central Philippine University with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing. He pursued his graduate school studies at the University of the Philippines and Baguio Central University with the degrees of Master of Management and Master in Public Administration respectively. He finished his Doctor of Philosophy in Management from the University of Cordilleras. 

On 16 March 1993, Gabriel was Called to Active Duty in the Regular Force of the Armed Forces of the Philippines with a military-grade of 2nd lieutenant. On 23 November 2000, Gabriel joined the prestigious Corps of Professors, PMA with a military-grade of captain and academic rank of assistant professor. Having conferred a master’s degree prior to his appointment in the Corps he should have been appointed with a military-grade of Major and academic rank of an associate professor based on Executive Order Nr 237 however PMA leadership believed he was too young at age 30 to be appointed to such grade and rank.

Gabriel taught management and social sciences courses at PMA such as principles of management, human resources management, public policy, constitution, economics, and international relations. While at PMA, he was appointed to several positions such as Assistant Head of Department of Languages, Assistant Head of Department of Social Sciences, Officer-in-Charge of Department of Languages, Administrative Officer of PMA Research and Development Center, Protocol Officer to the Dean of Academic Group, and Officer-in-Charge of PMA Disaster and Response Task Group. 

On 18 September 2003, Gabriel resigned his regular commission in the Corps of Professors to join his family in Sacramento, California. Presently, Gabriel is working as a registered nurse at Kaiser Permanente in Sacramento and serves as a clinical educator at the University of California Davis School of Nursing and California State University Sacramento School of Nursing.