This name uses Philippine naming customs. The middle name or maternal family name is Gonzales and the surname or paternal family name is Recto. Ralph Gonzales Recto (born January 11, 1964) is a Filipino politician. He 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 ran for reelection and lost because, as many analysts believed, he had authored the unpopular EVAT (Expanded Value 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 for another run for the Senate in the 2010 election.[1] Recto won a seat in the Senate and was proclaimed as one of the winning senatorial candidates in the said 2010 Senate elections. 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. His late mother is Carmen Gonzalez-Recto. His sister, Plinky Recto, is an actress and TV host. Recto acquired a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration at the College of St. Benilde of De La Salle University-Manila. 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 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.
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 (from 1992 to 2001) 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; and the Comprehensive Tax Reform Law. 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.
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.[4] 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. 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.[5] Fellow senator, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, called Recto's actions an "abject surrender to the very rich and very powerful tobacco and alcohol lobby.”
[6] 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. Recto ran for re-election in the Philippine Senate election, 2016 under the Koalisyon ng Daang Matuwid of LP standard bearer Mar Roxas and won placing 11th in the polls. This is a partial list of the laws he has authored:[8] 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 and also in Inosluban, Lipa. ^ a b c ^ AbsCbn, Defensor joins Petron board
^ , Ermita: Recto is new NEDA chiefLipa, Batangas first came to my consciousness (and perhaps yours) because of Ate Vi, or local actress Vilma Santos. Since marrying her politician husband and being introduced to the world of politics herself, the Star for All Seasons has been the de-facto champion of Batangas, most particularly, the City of Lipa. We decided to explore Lipa and noted why this “City for All Seasons” is growing to be one of the most popular places to find a home in outside Metro Manila. North – town of Santo Tomas, Balete and Malvar, Batangas West – municipalities of Cuenca and Mataas Na Kahoy and Taal Lake, Cavite East – San Pablo City of Laguna and San Antonio, Quezon South – Ibaan and San Jose, Batangas The two main roads that provide access to Batangas from Metro Manila are the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR) and South Luzon Expressway (SLEX). According to one travel blogger, residents and visitors can commute via bus lines DLTBCo, ALPS, SUPREME Bus Lines, Dela Rosa Transit, JAC Liner, and Batangas Starexpress.
With jeepneys as the primary mode of transportation, other common means of transportation around Lipa are buses, vans, tricycles, and multi cabs. Lipa’s central transport terminal is located beside SM City Lipa. The City of Lipa might as well live up to its moniker. Although the climate is primarily warm, it is to note that the city has a similar elevation as Tagaytay (elevation of 1,025 feet (312 m) above sea level). It is also good to note that the city’s location is situated in a valley between Mount Malarayat and Mount Makulot, making it a low-risk area for natural disasters. Because it is sandwiched between two mountains, the mountains soften the strong winds during typhoons. Moreover, Mount Makulot can act as a shield should the Taal Volcano in the west erupts. It is also a haven for travelers who wish to have a taste of Old World Europe without needing to make the thousand-mile flight. As the “Little Rome of the Philippines,” Lipa has a generous sprinkling of charming to magnificent churches, most notably Mount Carmel Church, and San Sebastian Cathedral.
Locals and visitors alike can also enjoy the city’s signature delicacies: Tamales ng Ibaan at Terraza Cafe Club Balai Isabel, the Batangas Lomi at Lomi King, Goto at Gotohan sa Barangay, and the famous Kapeng Barako at Cafe de Lipa. The city of Lipa is composed of 72 barangays, with 12 making up the city proper or Poblacion, and another 12 are emerging urban locales. When the initial behavioral trend in provincial areas is urban migration, locals (and even urbanites) are slowly coming back to their homes where they can truly find comfort. Ironwood Estates in Batangas, for example, provides the residential haven that’s away from the hustle and bustle of city life and has the rustic charm of countryside living. Just 60 minutes away from Manila and 15 mins away from Lipa proper, provides several pocket gardens, relaxing parks and gardens, and amenities reminiscent of a luxurious gated community: open-air clubhouse, posh swimming pool, children’s playground, and basketball court.
Because of its geographical location and proximity to Metro Manila, people who live in Lipa are slowly welcoming to the idea of enjoying the comforts of city life in their generally suburban neighborhood. Lipa’s proximity to the country’s capital, Manila, having an approximate distance of 86 kilometers or an hour and a half drive via the Southern Luzon Expressway, makes it more open to economic opportunities. According to the local government, it is poised to become a major institutional/administrative center, medical center, commercial center, financial center, agro-industrial center and residential center in the whole of Batangas. The continuous development of Lipa has also encouraged the development of agricultural land areas to residential real estate and industrial developments. For urbanites with growing families (or are starting to build one), Lipa is a perfect place to put down roots or delve into a new, sustainable business. House and lots for sale in Batangas, like this Angela model at Ironwood Estates, can also be customized according to your preference without breaking the bank.