As one of the directors over a 3,000-employee workforce, Jorda oversaw the support service divisions involving finance, human resources, management planning, and administration.

A certified public accountant, Jorda stayed longest in budget and accounting and became Financial Services Division chief in October 1992.

When he was boss of financial services, Jorda played a major role in cushioning the impact of government's repeated budget cuts on NSO operations. There he also saw to it that wages were paid strictly on time and all accounting records were open to scrutiny.

According to his staff, he was a stickler for detail who would even personally attend to filing important documents. Always with his nose buried in his job, he worked on extended hours daily and was persistent on making rounds to make sure deadlines were met.

Trustworthy as he was with money, so Jorda was with women employees. The Civil Service Commission and the Confederation of Independent Unions awarded him a plaque for being a women-friendly supervisor in the public sector in 1997. The year after, the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women cited his being "a role model and an active partner in gender and development."

"When he spoke in GAD seminars, any participant would sense that Mr. Jorda's advocacy was heartfelt and never just lip service. He was in tears, one time, talking to male government employees in an anti-sexual harassment seminar," recounted Mercedita Naldoza, another NSO official and partner in the GAD Movement in NSO.

He trained extensively on financial administration in government and on gender issues, including taking on a course on the Analysis of Gender Statistics in Washington, D.C. With his efforts, the NSO was among the first five government agencies to release implementing rules and regulations on the anti-sexual harassment law.

Jorda also has good standing with the NSO Union despite a spate of past disagreements. In more ways than being a public servant and a committed GAD advocate, Jorda is an example that effective service begins with diplomacy.