Gapay entered the Philippine Military Academy in 1982 and is a member of the “Sinagtala” Class of 1986. He graduated at the top of his class. He also completed various training and activities locally and abroad, such as the Scout Ranger Orientation Course, Basic Aviators Course, Armor Officer Basic Course; Air Traffic Control Officer Course at the Air University, Comptoller Officer Basic Course; Armor Officer Advance Course and Command and General Staff Course at the Armed Forces of the Philippines Command and General Staff College, the Emergency Management Seminar with the Australian Defence Force in Australia, and the Chemical, Biological, Radioactive, and Nuclear Training Seminar at the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission in Canada. He also holds a Master Degree of Management at the Philippine Christian University. He began his career in the 26th Infantry Battalion, of the 4th Infantry Division, and also led troops during communist insurgents in 1988 at the Agusan Provinces, and the 52nd Mechanized Infantry Company of the Light Armor Brigade during the Battle of Camp Abubakar in 2000. He also conceptualised the “Bayanihan Operations" concept, where he made major contributions on combating counterinsurgency. He also led the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion on combating communist insurgents in Central Luzon. He commanded various units in the Philippine Army and other AFP units deployed in major areas in Luzon and in Mindanao, primarily in infantry, intelligence, mechanised cavalry, education and training, civil and military operations and joint operations, such as the Southern Luzon Command in January 2019, and the Armor “Pambato” Division in 2017. He also served as the Chief of Staff of the Philippine Army in 2017, and became deputy commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command, based in Davao City; commander of Joint Task Force Haribon which secured Davao City and the rest of Davao region during the 2016 Davao City bombing, and also became the spokesperson of the martial law implementation in Mindanao. He was able to assist the commander of the EastMinCom in degrading the armed capability of the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee of the CPP-NPA and neutralize terrorist leaders and members of Ansar al Khilafah Pilipinas operating in Sarangani province. He was also responsible in the successful launching of the Philippine chairmanship of the ASEAN in Davao City and the successful conduct of high-level ASEAN meetings and major international events. Noteworthy was the “zero incident” of terrorism during his tenure. He also oversaw the 2019 Balikatan exercises as the country's exercise director. On July 29, 2020, he was named as the new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the highest post in the AFP. He will soon take his post on August 3, 2020, replacing his classmate Felimon Santos Jr.. Gapay will be the 54th AFP Chief of Staff, and the eighth under Duterte’s administration since 2016.
