Garcia was born on October 20, 1937. The youngest of four children and the only son of Juan Garcia and Benedicta Castillo, both illiterates, in the remote barrio of Concordia at Alitagtag, Batangas.
Starting his education at the P. Gomez Elementary School (Manila), and thereafter at the Arellano (Public) High School (Manila), he qualified for admission into the College of Law of the University of the Philippines. A product of the public school system, he graduated at the UP in 1961. He obtained a post-graduate degree in Public Administration as a government scholar from the University of Santo Tomas in 1967.
Honing his skills in the legal profession by serving as the assistant at the Macapagal Alafriz & Mutuc Law Offices, he went on to serve the government, first as Legal Office, then as Junior Presidential Staff Assistant in the Legal Office of Malacanang, and thereafter, as Solicitor in the Office of the Solicitor General, at that time headed by his former college professor, Solicitor General Estelito Mendoza. Ripe for the judiciary after more than a decade of constant brushes with the law, he first sat at the bench as City Judge of Caloocan. Serving for more than a decade in that capacity, and having won a Judge of the Year award, he rose to the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Angeles City and later to the RTC in Caloocan. Soon, then PresidentCorazon Aquino took him back to Malacanang as Assistant Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs. Aware that he is a Jurist at heart, President Cory appointed him to the Court of Appeals where he served for almost fourteen years until 2004, first as Associate Justice, then as Presiding Justice of that court, a position he held twice – from March 14 to July 29, 2001, and April 11, 2002, to April 8, 2003. In October 2004, Justice Garcia reached the peak when PresidentGloria Macapagal Arroyo appointed him as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, the Court's 156th Justice.
1976 Most Outstanding Judge, IBP CAMANAVA Chapter, January 29, 1977
Outstanding Judge, Media Writers Association of the Philippines, October 12, 1985
Certificate of Appreciation, Angeles City Metropolitan District Command, 1985
Plaque of Appreciation for Judicious and Expeditious Implementation of the Dangerous Drugs Law, Philippine Constabulary Narcotics Command, February 1, 1986
Certificate of Merit for Distinguished and Meritorious Service as Presiding Judge, Angeles City Lawyers’ League, January 5, 1989
Plaque of Recognition as one of the Ten Outstanding Citizens of Alitagtag, Club Alitagtag, Batangas, May 5, 1989
Plaque of Recognition for his promotion to the Court of Appeals, IBP CAMANAVA Chapter, November 15, 1991
Certificate of Attendance for participation in the XVth Law Asia Biennial Conference, Law Association for Asia and the Pacific, August 1997
Certificate of Attendance, Harvard Law School, June 2000
Plaque of Recognition as Intellectual Giant, True Nationalist and Advocate of the Rights and Welfare of the Marginalized Sectors of Philippine Society, Kapatirang Plebeian Foundation, June 24, 2001
Certificate of Appreciation, Supreme Court, Centenary Celebrations, July 11, 2001
Outstanding Jurist Award, Consumers’ Union of the Philippines, 13th Annual National Consumers Award, May 31, 2002
Ulirang Ama Sectoral Awardee for Law and the Judiciary, National Mother's Day and Father's Day Foundation of the Philippines, June 16, 2002
Caloocan's Best for Law and Judiciary, Caloocan 41st Foundation Day, February 16, 2003
Plaque of Merit for Raising the Level of Competence and Integrity in the Dispensation of Justice and Unselfish and Dedicated Service to the Judiciary, Philippine Trial Lawyers Association, Inc., May 9, 2003
Parangal ng Bayan Award in Law and Judiciary, 18th Annual Parangal ng Bayan Awards, May 24, 2003
Citation of Distinction, Philippine Judges Association, October 23, 2003
Plaque of Appreciation as Most Outstanding Plebeian in Government Services for Judiciary, Kapatirang Plebeian Foundation, Inc. (KPFI), June 19, 2004
Achievement Award as Most Outstanding Alumnus, Arellano High School, January 23, 2005
Award of Distinction, Court of Appeals, February 1, 2006
Certificate of Participation in the Conference on Terrorism and Rule of Law, World Jurist Association, May 22–24, 2006
Plaque of Appreciation as Guest Honor and Speaker on the Induction of the New Officers and Members, Angeles City Lawyers League, September 29, 2006
The Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos Award, Supreme Court of the Philippines, Oct 19, 2007
The Gawad Anubing Award, Alitagtag, Batangas, May 4, 2011
Hall of Fame, Philippine Judges Association, October 9, 2013
