Ralph Recto

Ralph Recto
Ralph Recto at a 2007 political rally in Cebu City
President pro tempore of the Senate of the Philippines
Incumbent
Assumed office July 22, 2013
Preceded by	Jinggoy Estrada
Senator of the Philippines
Incumbent
Assumed office June 30, 2010
In office June 30, 2001 – June 30, 2007
12th Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority Concurrently Secretary of Socio-Economic Planning
In office July 23, 2008 – August 16, 2009
President	Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Preceded by	Romulo Neri Augusto Santos (acting)
Succeeded by	Cayetano Paderanga, Jr. Augusto Santos (acting)
Member of the Philippine House of Representatives
In office June 30, 1992 – June 30, 2001
Preceded by	Jose E. Calingasan
Succeeded by	Oscar L. Gozos
Constituency	4th District of Batangas
Personal details
Born	Ralph Gonzales Recto (1964-01-11) January 11, 1964 Quezon City, Philippines
Nationality	Filipino
Political party	Liberal Party (2009-present) Lakas Kampi CMD (2001-2003; 2007-2009) Nacionalista (2003-2007) LDP (1992-2001)
Spouse(s)	Vilma Santos (m. 1992–present)
Children	Luis Philippe Manzano (stepson) Ryan Christian Recto
Residence	Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila Lipa City, Batangas
Alma mater	De La Salle University
Occupation	Politician
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Ralph Gonzales Recto (born January 11, 1964) is a Filipino politician. Recto served as a member of the House of Representatives representing the 4th District of Batangas from 1992 to 2001. He was then elected to the Senate, serving from 2001 to 2007. In 2007, Recto run for reelection and lost because, as many analysts believed, he had authored the EVAT (Expanded Variable Added Tax) law. In July 2008 he was appointed to head the National Economic and Development Authority, but resigned from his position in August 2009 in preparation to run for senator in the 2010 election. Recto won a seat in the Senate and was proclaimed as one of the winning senatorial candidates of the 2010 Senate elections.

Family and personal life

Recto comes from a political family. His grandfather, the late nationalist and statesman Claro M. Recto was a Senator for several terms. His father Atty. Rafael Recto was an Assemblyman during the Regular Batasang Pambansa and his late mother Carmen Gonzalez-Recto. His older brother Ricky Recto was the former vice governor of the province of Batangas, while his sister Plinky Recto is an actress and TV host.

He is married to Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto, father to Ryan Christian and stepfather to Luis Philippe Manzano whom he legally adopted. He is an active member of Tau Gamma Phi.

He currently resides in Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City and also in Inosluban, Lipa City.

Education

He acquired a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration at the College of St. Benilde of De La Salle University-Manila. Recto entered the College of Public Administration of the University of the Philippines, Diliman to acquire a Master of Public Administration and attended the first semester from 1991-1992 then later entered at the University of Asia and the Pacific where he took an 11-month course to acquire a Certificate in Business Economics under the Strategic Business Economics Program of the School of Economics of the university. He also took up a Leadership Scholarship Course at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States.

Political career

House of Representatives

He holds the distinction of being the youngest elected member of the House of Representatives during the 9th Congress. He also holds an unprecedented record in the congressional election history of Batangas for winning in all precincts, barangays, and municipalities together with Lipa City in the 1995 and 1998 elections. He garnered 98% of the votes cast in those two elections in the 4th District of Batangas.

During his three terms (from 1992 to 2001) as Member of the House of Representatives, most of his legislative measures enacted into law deal with economic reforms and poverty alleviation. Among which are the Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act; the Philippine Economic Zone Law; Amendment to the Special Economic Zone Law; the Retail Trade Liberalization Law; Regional Headquarters Law and the Comprehensive Tax Reform Law.

Senate (2001–2007)

Recto was elected to the Senate in 2001, becoming the youngest Senator of the 12th Congress at the age of 37. In the Senate, he chaired the Committees on Ways and Means and on Trade and Industry.

National Economic and Development Authority (2007–2009)

After his failed bid for re-election to the Senate in 2007, Recto joined the board of the Union Bank of the Philippines.

He is said to be offered the position of Secretary of Finance but it was subsequently denied by Malacañang.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, on July 23, 2008 named him as the new director-general of National Economic and Development Authority, replacing Augusto Santos, acting NEDA chief. On August 11, 2009, he resigned as NEDA secretary and Presidential Adviser for Economic Planning, in preparation for another run for Senate in the 2010 election.

Return to the Senate

He was proclaimed as one of the winning senatorial candidates of the 2010 Senate elections. In 2012, while being the committee chair for the Senate Ways and Means Committee, Recto came under fire from doctors, anti-smoking groups and the Aquino Administration for "diluting" a proposed Sin Tax Bill in favor of tobacco firms in the Philippines, reducing proposed taxes from P60 Billion to P15 Billion. Fellow senator, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, called Recto's actions an "abject surrender to the very rich and very powerful tobacco and alcohol lobby.” In response to the pressure, Senator Recto soon stepped down as the chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

On July 22, 2013, at the start of the first day of the 1st Regular Session of the Senate for the 16th Congress, Recto was elected Senate President Pro-Tempore, the second highest post in the Senate and was also the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology and member of the powerful bicameral Commission on Appointments.

Laws authored

• RA 10653 - Increasing Tax Exemption Cap for 13th Month Pay and Bonuses (February 12, 2015)
• RA 10645 - Philhealth Coverage for All Senior Citizens (November 5, 2014)
• RA 10638 - Philippine National Railways Charter Extension (June 16, 2014)
• RA 10606 - Amendments to the National Health Insurance Act (June 19, 2013)
• RA 10533 - Enhancing the Philippine Basic Education System (K to 12 Program) (May 15, 2013)
• RA 10531 - Sengthening the National Electrification Administration (May 7, 2013)
• RA 10378 - International Common Carriers Tax Exemption (March 7, 2013)
• RA 10349 - Revised AFP Modernization Program (December 11, 2012)
• RA 10157 - Kindergarten Education Act (January 20, 2012)
• RA 10149 - GOCC Governance Act of 2011 (June 6, 2012)
• RA 9480 - General Tax Amnesty (May 24, 2007)
• RA 9400 - Amendments to BCDA (March 20, 2007)
• RA 9399 - BCDA’s One-Time Tax Amnesty (March 20, 2007)
• RA 9361 - Lifting of the 70% Cap on Input VAT (November 21, 2006)
• RA 9343 - Extension of RA 9182 (Special Purpose Vehicle Act of 2002) (April 24, 2006)
• RA 9341 - Amendments to the Rent Reform Act (December 21, 2005)
• RA 9337 - Amendments to the National Internal Revenue Code – (Expanded VAT and Increase in Corporate Income Tax)
• RA 9335 - Lateral Attrition Act of 2005 (January 25, 2005)
• RA 9334 - Increasing the Excise Tax Rates on Alcohol and Tobacco Products (December 21, 2004)
• RA 9301 - Philippine Overseas Shipping Act (July 27, 2004)
• RA 9295 - Domestic Shipping Act (May 3, 2004)
• RA 9294 - Restoring the Tax Exemption of Offshore Banking Units (OBUs) and Foreign Currency Deposit Units (FCDUs) (April 28, 2004)
• RA 9282 - Expanding the Jurisdiction of the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) (March 30, 2004)
• RA 9243 - Rationalizing the Provisions of Documentary Stamp Tax (February 17, 2004)
• RA 9238 - Excluding Several Services from VAT Coverage (February 5, 2004)
• RA 9224 - Rationalization of Excise Tax on Automobiles (August 29, 2003)
• RA 9182 - Special Purpose Vehicle Act of 2002 (December 23, 2002)
• RA 9178 - Barangay Micro Business Enterprises Act of 2002 (November 13, 2002)
• RA 9167 - Film Development and Incentives Board (June 7, 2002)
• RA 9161 - Rent Reform Act of 2001 (December 22, 2001)
• RA 8762 - Retail Trade Liberalization Law (March 7, 2000)
• RA 8756 - Regional Headquarters Law (November 23, 1999)
• RA 8748 - Amendments to the Special Economic Zone Law (June 1, 1999)
• RA 8425 - Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act (December 11, 1997)

See also

• Aksyon ng Bayan Rosario 2001 And Beyond
• Tau Gamma Phi

External links

• Official Website
• Official Facebook Page
• Recto's Senate Bio

House of Representatives of the Philippines
Preceded by Jose Calingasan	Representative, 4th District of Batangas 1992 – 2001	Succeeded by Oscar L. Gozos
Political offices
Preceded by Augusto Santos	National Economic and Development Authority Director-General 2008 – 2009	Succeeded by Augusto Santos