Ralph Recto

Ralph Recto comes from a political family. He was born to parents Rafael Recto (1931–2008), a sportsman and politician who participated in the 1986 coup attempt at the Manila Hotel, and Carmen Gonzalez-Recto (1941–2013), and has seven siblings. His grandfather, the late nationalist and statesman Claro M. Recto, was a senator for several terms. Ralph's older brother, Richard "Ricky" Recto Jr., was the former vice governor of the province of Batangas, while his sister, Marie Roxanne "Plinky" Recto, is an actress and TV host. ==Education==

Recto acquired a Bachelor of Science in commerce at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, in 1989. At that time, Benilde was still a constituent college of De La Salle University. In 1990, he entered the College of Public Administration of the University of the Philippines Diliman to study Master of Public Administration, but only earned 36 academic units, hence unable to finish the graduate degree. Recto later took the Strategic Business Economics Program (SBEP) at the University of Asia and the Pacific in 1993, where he acquired a postgraduate Certificate in Business Economics (CBE), which was awarded to participants who exited the program without completing the thesis requirement in lieu of a master’s degree. Recto took up a 6-day Certificate of Leadership Scholarship Course at the John F. Kennedy School of Government or Harvard Kennedy School of Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States in 1997. ==House of Representatives==

First three terms (1992–2001) Recto was the youngest-elected member of the House of Representatives during the 9th Congress. He is also the youngest elective official of his term. 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 first 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; Regional Headquarters Law; and the Comprehensive Tax Reform Law. Return (2022–2024) Upon being term-limited in the Senate, in 2022, Recto ran for a comeback to the House of Representatives, this time at the 6th district of Batangas, which consists of only the city of Lipa. During the campaign, he had endorsed the presidential bid of Manila Mayor Isko Moreno. He then won the election unopposed, Recto subsequently resigned as representative following his appointment as finance secretary by President Bongbong Marcos in January 2024. Speaker Martin Romualdez served as the caretaker of Recto's congressional seat until the 2025 election. ==Senate==

First term (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 (NIRC) and on the Official Development Assistance (ODA). 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. Second term (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 bicameral Commission on Appointments. Third term (2016–2022) Recto ran for re-election in the 2016 Senate election under the Koalisyon ng Daang Matuwid of Liberal standard bearer and presidential nominee 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, Koko Pimentel and Recto voted for each other. After losing the vote, Recto automatically became the Minority Leader. He was joined by Escudero and Trillanes in the minority bloc. 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 Franklin 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 Quantitative 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. ==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 have been 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. ==Cabinet of Bongbong Marcos==

Finance secretary (2024–2025) on Malacañan Palace, January 12, 2024. On January 11, 2024, within his 60th birthday, Recto was appointed by President Bongbong Marcos as the secretary of finance. He took his oath of office on January 12, 2024, succeeding Benjamin Diokno, while eventually vacating the posts of the House Deputy Speaker and the House Representative of the 6th district of Batangas, simultaneously. The Commission on Appointments confirmed Recto's appointment as finance secretary on March 13, 2024. On May 22, 2025, President Marcos ordered members of his cabinet to tender their courtesy resignations in the aftermath of the May 12, 2025 midterm elections. Recto complied to this order. He will continue to serve as secretary until President Marcos accepts his resignation, if the President does so. Executive secretary (2025–present) On November 17, 2025, presidential press officer Claire Castro announced that Recto would replace the resigned Lucas Bersamin as the executive secretary. Castro also announced that Frederick Go, who had served as Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs, would replace Recto as the finance secretary. Since the announcement, Recto has been serving as the executive secretary on an ad interim basis pending confirmation by the Commission on Appointments. ==Personal life==

He is married to actress and former Batangas representative Vilma Santos-Recto, with whom he has one son, incumbent Batangas representative Ryan Recto. He is the stepfather of actor and host Luis Manzano. He currently lives in Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa, and in Inosluban, Lipa. ==Electoral history==