 |
Ralph RectoFilipino politician.
Date of Birth: 11.01.1964
Country:  Philippines |
Content:
- Ralph Recto: A Distinguished Philippine Politician
- Educational Background
- Legislative Career
- Senate Tenure
- Department of National Economic and Development
- Religious Affiliation
Ralph Recto: A Distinguished Philippine Politician
Early Life and FamilyRalph Recto was born into a family of politicians on January 11, 1964, in Quezon City, Philippines. His grandfather, Claro M. Recto, was a renowned nationalist and statesman who served multiple terms as a senator. His father, Atty Rafael Recto, was a legislator during the Regular Batasang Pambansa. Ralph's older brother, Ricky Recto, was the Vice Governor of Batangas, and his sister, Plinky Recto, is an actress and television personality. Ralph is married to the Batangas Governor, Vilma Santos-Recto, and is the father of Ryan Christian and stepfather of Luis Philippe Manzano. He currently resides in Muntinlupa City and Lipa City.
Educational Background
Recto holds two Masters' degrees. The first is in Public Administration from the University of the Philippines, Diliman, although the validity of this degree has been questioned as he reportedly did not complete his dissertation. The second is in Strategic Business Economics from the University of Asia and the Pacific. He also studied at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, and earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from De La Salle University in Manila.
Legislative Career
Recto became the youngest elected member of the House of Representatives during the 9th Congress. He made history for Batangas by winning in all precincts, barangays, and municipalities in the 1995 and 1998 elections, securing 98% of the votes on both occasions. During his three terms (1992-2001) as Representative, many of his legislative initiatives focused on economic reforms and poverty alleviation, such as the Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act, the Amendment to the Special Economic Zone Law, the Retail Trade Liberalization Law, and the Comprehensive Tax Reform Law.
Senate Tenure
Recto was elected to the Senate in 2001, becoming the youngest senator of the 12th Congress at age 37. In the Senate, he chaired the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Trade and Commerce. After an unsuccessful re-election bid in 2007, Ralph served as a director of UnionBank, one of the largest banks in the Philippines.
Department of National Economic and Development
On July 23, 2008, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointed Recto as the new Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), succeeding Augusto Santos. However, on August 11, 2009, Recto resigned from NEDA and as Presidential Adviser on Economic Planning to focus on his bid for a Senate seat in the 2010 elections.
