Ralph Recto

Infobox Officeholder
name = Ralph G. Recto

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imagesize =
small

caption = Ralph Recto at a 2007 political rally in Cebu City
order =
office = Senator of the Philippines
term_start = 2001
term_end = 2007
order2 =
office2 = Representative, 4th District of Batangas
term_start2 = 1992
term_end2 = 2001
birth_date = birth date and age|1964|1|11
birth_place = Quezon City, Philippines
death_date =
death_place =
nationality = Filipino
party = Lakas-CMD (2001-2003; 2007 to date)
Nacionalista Party (2003-2007)
Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (1992-2001)

spouse = Vilma Santos
relations =
children = Luis Manzano (stepson)
Ryan Christian Recto
residence = Quezon City
Inosluban, Lipa City
alma_mater =
occupation =
profession =
religion = Roman Catholic


website =
footnotes =

Ralph Gonzalez Recto (born January 11, 1964) is a politician in the Philippines. He was elected Senator in the 2001 election and served until June 30, 2007. He is currently the Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), con-currently the Socio-Economic Planning Secretary.

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. 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.

Educational career

Recto has two Master's Degrees – one in Public Administration from the University of the Philippines, Diliman and another in Strategic Business Economics from the University of Asia and the Pacific. He also took up a Leadership Scholarship Course at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. He acquired a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration at the De La Salle University-Manila.

Political career

He holds the distinction of being the youngest elected member of the House of Representatives during the 9th Congress. A feat he replicated when he became the youngest Senator of the 12th Congress at the age of 37. 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. However, he is most famous for authoring the Extended Value Added Tax Law which burdened the entire Filipino People. This is the reason why he lost the Senatorial Race for another term.

In the Senate, he chaired the Committees on Ways and Means and on Trade and Industry.

After his failed bid for re-election to the senate in 2007, Recto joined the board of Union Bank. [ [http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=101273 AbsCbn, Defensor joins Petron board] ]

He is said to be offered the position of Secretary of Finance but it was subsequently denied by Malacañang [ [http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=109665 abs-cbnnews.com] ] .

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. [ [http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=126110 abs-cbnnews.com, Ermita: Recto is new NEDA chief] ]

Republic Acts authored by Ralph Recto

* RA 7196 - Special Economic Zone Law
* RA 8424 - Comprehensive Tax Reform Law
* RA 8425 - Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act
* RA 8478 - Amendments to the Special Economic Zone Law
* RA 8756 - Regional Headquarters Law
* RA 8762 - Retail Trade Liberalization Law
* RA 9337 - EVAT Law
* RA 9333 - Lateral Attrition Law
* RA 9334 - Sin Tax Law
* RA 9301 - Philippine Overseas Shipping Law
* RA 9294 - FCDU
* RA 9295 - Domestic Shipping Development Act
* RA 9282 - Court of Tax Appeals Law
* RA 9243 - DST Law
* RA 9238 - Excise Tax Law
* RA 9182 - Special Purpose Vehicle Law
* RA 9178 - Barangay Micro Business Enterprise Law
* RA 9167 - Film Development Council
* RA 9161 - Rent Control Law

Personal life

He is married to Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto, father to Ryan Christian and stepfather to Luis Philippe Manzano.

He currently resides in Greenmeadows, Quezon City and also in Inosluban, Lipa City.

See also

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

References

External links

* [http://www.ralphrecto.com/ Personal Website]
* [http://www.i-site.ph/Databases/Congress/12thSenate/personal/recto-personal.html Recto's I-Site Profile]
* [http://www.senate.gov.ph/senators/sen_bio/recto_bio.htm Recto's Senate Bio]