Ralph Recto


Ralph Gonzales Recto is a Filipino politician serving as the president pro tempore of the Philippine Senate since 2017, previously holding the position from 2013 to 2016. Since 2010, he has been on his second stint in the Senate, first serving from 2001 to 2007. He was the representative of Batangas' 4th district from 1992 to 2001.
In 2007, Recto lost his reelection bid because, as many analysts believed, he had authored the unpopular EVAT law. In July 2008 he was appointed to head the National Economic and Development Authority in the Arroyo administration, but resigned from his position in August 2009 in preparation for another run for the Senate in the 2010 elections.
He is a grandson of statesman Claro M. Recto. His wife is actress-politician Vilma Santos.

Early 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 while his older brother, Ricky Recto, was the former vice governor of the province of Batangas.
His late mother is Carmen Gonzalez-Recto. His sister, Plinky Recto, is an actress and TV host.

Education

Recto acquired a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration at the De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde, at the time was a constituent college of De La Salle University. He entered the College of Public Administration of the University of the Philippines, Diliman to acquire a Master of Public Administration degree; he attended the program in the first semester from 1991-1992, but later entered the University of Asia and the Pacific to take an 11-month course to acquire a graduate certificate in business economics under the Strategic Business Economics Program of the university's School of Economics. 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: 1992–2001

Recto 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 as a 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.

First term in the 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.
He was co-chairman of the Congressional Oversight Committees on the Proper Implementation of the National Internal Revenue Code and on the Official Development Assistance. He was also chairman of the Accounts committee.
During his first six-year term as Senator, he was largely responsible for the passage of laws with positive impact to consumers, small entrepreneurs, workers and industry.

National Economic and Development Authority: 2008–2009

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.

Second term in the Senate: 2010–2016

He was proclaimed as one of the winning senatorial candidates of the 2010 Senate elections.
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.
His legislative accomplishments during this period include authorship of laws on institutionalization of Kindergarten, implementation of K to 12, extension of the corporate life of the Philippine National Railways, increasing the tax-exempt ceiling on 13th month pay, Christmas bonus and other benefits, mandatory PHILHEALTH coverage for senior citizens, additional benefits for Persons with Disabilities, PAGASA modernization, extension of the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund and the Armed Forces of the Philippines modernization, creation of the Department of Information and Communications Technology, and Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
Recto participated and was very vocal during the Senate hearings on Balikbayan boxes scam, the "Laglag bala" incidents in airports, and the shortage of license plates, among other things.

Third term in the Senate: 2016–Present

Recto ran for re-election in the 2016 Philippine Senate election under the Koalisyon ng Daang Matuwid of
LP standard bearer Mar Roxas and won placing 11th in the polls.
On the opening day of the 17th Congress, July 25, 2016, Senator Francis Escudero nominated Recto for the presidency. Senator Antonio Trillanes IV seconded Escudero’s nomination. During nominal voting, Pimentel voted for Recto. Recto voted for Pimentel. After losing the vote, Recto automatically became the Minority Leader. He was joined by Escudero and Trillanes. Recto, in his acceptance speech for the post, vowed that the minority would cooperate with the Duterte administration's plans if these serve "the public interest." However, he said, they would be "duty-bound" to oppose the majority's agenda if it "hurts the nation."
When the Senate underwent a reorganization on February 27, 2017, Recto, after getting 17 votes, was declared Senate President Pro Tempore, replacing Drilon.
For the 17th Congress, he authored the following laws: Murang Kuryente Act, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Act, Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act, Universal Health Care Act, Philhealth Coverage for PWDs, National Integrated Cancer Control Act, Tax Amnesty Act, The New Central Bank Act, Lifting Quantitave Import Restriction on Rice, Social Security Act, First 1000 Days of Life, Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education, Comprehensive National Feeding Program, Free Irrigation Service, Ease of Doing Business/Expanded Anti-Red Tape Act, Free Internet Access in Public Places, Extending the Validity of Philippine Passport and Driver's License, National ID System, and Designating Casinos as Covered Persons under the AMLA.
Recto kept his post as Senate President Pro-Tempore in the 18th Congress.
In September 2018, Recto left the Liberal Party to re-join the Nacionalista Party.

Major laws authored/sponsored

Laws authored/sponsored by Ralph G. Recto:
• RA 11468 - National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims, Survivors and Their Families
• RA 11466 - Salary Standardization Law of 2019
• RA 11454 - Disposition of Land in Krus na Ligas, Quezon City
• RA 11371 - Murang Kuryente Act
• RA 11310 - Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Act
• RA 11229 - Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act
• RA 11228 - Mandatory PhilHealth Coverage for Persons with Disability
• RA 11223 - Universal Health Care Act
• RA 11215 - National Integrated Cancer Control Act
• RA 11213 - Tax Amnesty Act
• RA 11211 - The New Central Bank Act
• RA 11203 - Lifting Quantitative Import Restriction on Rice
• RA 11199 - Social Security Act of 2018
• RA 11148 - Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act
• RA 11055 - Philippine Identification System Act
• RA 11037 - Masustansiyang Pagkain Para sa Batang Pilipino
• RA 11032 - Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Delivery of Government Services/Expanded Anti-Red Tape Act of 2018
• RA 10969 - Free Irrigation Service Act
• RA 10931 - Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education
• RA 10930 - Extending the Validity Period of Driver's License
• RA 10929 - Free Internet Access in Public Places Act
• RA 10928 - Extending the Validity of Philippine Passport
• RA 10927 - Casinos as Covered Persons Under the Anti-Money Laundering Act
• RA 10868 - Centenarians Act of 2016
• RA 10863 - Customs Modernization and Tariff Act
• RA 10848 - Extending the Period of Implementation of the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund
• RA 10844 - Department of Information And Communications Technology Act of 2015
• RA 10801 - Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Act
• RA 10754 - Additional Benefits for Persons with Disability
• RA 10708 - Tax Incentives Management and Transparency Act
• RA 10699 - National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act
• RA 10692 - PAGASA Modernization Act
• RA 10687 - Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education
• RA 10665 - Open High School System Act
• RA 10653 - Increasing the Tax Exempt Ceiling on 13th Month Pay and Other Benefits
• RA 10650 - Open Learning and Distance Education Act of 2014
• RA 10647 - Ladderized Education Act of 2014
• RA 10645 - PhilHealth Coverage for All Senior Citizens
• RA 10638 - Philippine National Railways Charter Extension
• RA 10606 - Amendments to the National Health Insurance Act
• RA 10533 - Enhancing the Philippine Basic Education System
• RA 10531 - Strengthening the National Electrification Administration
• RA 10378 - International Common Carriers Tax Exemption
• RA 10349 - Revised AFP Modernization Program
• RA 10157 - Kindergarten Education Act
• RA 10149 - GOCC Governance Act of 2011
• RA 9480 - General Tax Amnesty
• RA 9442 - Magna Carta for Disabled Persons
• RA 9400 - Amendments to BCDA
• RA 9439 - Prohibiting the Detention of Live or Dead Patients in Hospitals on Grounds of Nonpayment of Hospital Bills
• RA 9422 - Strengthening the Regulatory Functions of the POEA
• RA 9417 - Strengthening the Office of the Solicitor General
• RA 9399 - BCDA’s One-Time Tax Amnesty
• RA 9367 - Biofuels Act of 2006
• RA 9361 - Lifting of the 70% Cap on Input VAT
• RA 9343 - Extension of RA 9182
• RA 9341 - Amendments to the Rent Reform Act
• RA 9337 - Amendments to the National Internal Revenue Code –
• RA 9335 - Lateral Attrition Act of 2005
• RA 9334 - Increasing the Excise Tax Rates on Alcohol and Tobacco Products
• RA 9301 - Philippine Overseas Shipping Act
• RA 9295 - Domestic Shipping Act
• RA 9294 - Restoring the Tax Exemption of Offshore Banking Units and Foreign Currency Deposit Units
• RA 9282 - Expanding the Jurisdiction of the Court of Tax Appeals
• RA 9243 - Rationalizing the Provisions of Documentary Stamp Tax
• RA 9238 - Excluding Several Services from VAT Coverage
• RA 9224 - Rationalization of Excise Tax on Automobiles
• RA 9182 - Special Purpose Vehicle Act of 2002
• RA 9178 - Barangay Micro Business Enterprises Act of 2002
• RA 9167 - Film Development and Incentives Board
• RA 9161 - Rent Reform Act of 2001
• RA 8762 - Retail Trade Liberalization Law
• RA 8425 - Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act
• RA 8424 - Comprehensive Tax Reform Law
• RA 7916 - Special Economic Zone Law

Personal life

He is married to Batangas Representative Vilma Santos-Recto they have one son named Ryan Christian he is also the 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 and also in Inosluban, Lipa.