Ralph Recto

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Secretary of Finance of the Philippines

title: "Ralph Recto" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1964-births", "living-people", "politicians-from-quezon-city", "people-from-lipa,-batangas", "recto-family", "presidents-pro-tempore-of-the-senate-of-the-philippines", "senators-of-the-18th-congress-of-the-philippines", "senators-of-the-17th-congress-of-the-philippines", "senators-of-the-16th-congress-of-the-philippines", "senators-of-the-15th-congress-of-the-philippines", "senators-of-the-13th-congress-of-the-philippines", "senators-of-the-12th-congress-of-the-philippines", "members-of-the-house-of-representatives-of-the-philippines-from-batangas", "deputy-speakers-of-the-house-of-representatives-of-the-philippines", "directors-general-of-the-national-economic-and-development-authority-of-the-philippines", "executive-secretaries-of-the-philippines", "secretaries-of-finance-of-the-philippines", "laban-ng-demokratikong-pilipino-politicians", "nacionalista-party-politicians", "lakas–cmd-politicians", "liberal-party-(philippines)-politicians", "ateneo-de-manila-university-alumni", "de-la-salle-university-alumni", "de-la-salle–college-of-saint-benilde-alumni", "arroyo-administration-cabinet-members", "bongbong-marcos-administration-cabinet-members", "university-of-asia-and-the-pacific-alumni", "minority-leaders-of-the-senate-of-the-philippines"] description: "Secretary of Finance of the Philippines" topic_path: "economics" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Recto" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Secretary of Finance of the Philippines ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox officeholder"]

Field	Value
name	Ralph Recto
image	DOF Secretary Ralph Recto.png
imagesize	220px
caption	Official portrait, 2024
office	Executive Secretary of the Philippines
status	Ad interim
president	Bongbong Marcos
term_start	November 17, 2025
predecessor	Lucas Bersamin
office1	33rd Secretary of Finance
president1	Bongbong Marcos
term_start1	January 12, 2024
term_end1	November 17, 2025
predecessor1	Benjamin Diokno
successor1	Frederick Go
office2	Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives
1blankname2	Speaker
1namedata2	Martin Romualdez
successor2	David Suarez
alongside2	several others
term_start2	July 27, 2022
term_end2	January 12, 2024
office3	Member of the House of Representatives from Batangas
constituency3	6th district
term_start3	June 30, 2022
term_end3	January 12, 2024
predecessor3	Vilma Santos
successor3	Ryan Christian Recto
constituency4	4th district
term_start4	June 30, 1992
term_end4	June 30, 2001
predecessor4	Jose E. Calingasan
successor4	Oscar Gozos
office5	Senate Minority Leader
term_start5	July 25, 2016
term_end5	February 27, 2017
predecessor5	Juan Ponce Enrile
successor5	Franklin Drilon
office6	President pro tempore of the Senate of the Philippines
term_start6	February 27, 2017
term_end6	June 30, 2022
predecessor6	Franklin Drilon
successor6	Migz Zubiri (acting)
term_start7	July 22, 2013
term_end7	June 30, 2016
predecessor7	Jinggoy Estrada
successor7	Franklin Drilon
office8	Senator of the Philippines
term_start8	June 30, 2010
term_end8	June 30, 2022
term_start9	June 30, 2001
term_end9	June 30, 2007
office10
president10	Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
term_start10	July 23, 2008
term_end10	August 16, 2009
predecessor10
successor10
	office11
term_label11	In role
term_start11	June 30, 2025
governor11	Vilma Santos
predecessor11	Angelica Chua-Mandanas
term_label12	In role
term_start12	June 30, 2007
term_end12	June 30, 2016
governor12	Vilma Santos
predecessor12	Edna Sanchez
successor12	Regina Reyes Mandanas
	birth_name
birth_date
birth_place	Quezon City, Philippines
nationality
party	Nacionalista (2004–2007; 2018–present)
otherparty
spouse
children	Ryan Recto
alma_mater
occupation	Politician, government official
profession	Economist
signature	Ralph-recto-signature.svg
website
::

Ralph Gonzalez Recto (; born January 11, 1964) is a Filipino politician who has served as the executive secretary on an ad interim basis since 2025 under President Bongbong Marcos. He previously served as the 33rd secretary of finance from 2024 to 2025 under President Marcos, the representative for Batangas' 6th district from 1992 to 2001 and from 2022 to 2024, and as the House deputy speaker from 2022 to 2024.

Recto also previously served three terms in the Senate: from 2001 to 2007 and from 2010 to 2022, and he had served as president pro tempore of the Senate and Senate minority leader. He started his political career as the representative of Batangas' 4th district from 1992 to 2001.

In 2007, Recto lost his Senate re-election bid 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 (NEDA) 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. He 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 (d. 2013). His sister, 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. 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 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.{{cite news |url= https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/investigative/103184-no-masters-degrees-ralph-recto/|title=EXCLUSIVE:No master's degrees for Ralph Recto|last=Buesa |first=Michael|publisher=Rappler|access-date=August 21, 2015}}

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)

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Rep.Ralph_Recto(19th_Congress).jpg" caption="19th Congress"] ::

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,{{cite news|url=https://www.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/03/25/22/845-candidates-are-sure-winners-in-2022-polls|title=Sure winners: 845 candidates running unopposed in 2022 polls |first1=Dave|last1=Abuel|first2=Ciara|last2=Annatu|website=ABS-CBN News|date=April 1, 2022|access-date=April 16, 2022}} succeeding his wife Vilma Santos who chose not to seek reelection.

On July 27, 2022, Recto was named as a House Deputy Speaker under the speakership of Martin Romualdez.

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)

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Sen_Ralph_Recto.jpg" caption="Official portrait of Ralph Recto as Philippine Senator, from 2016 to 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)

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/20240112-PBBMOathtaking-Recto-ph2.jpg" caption="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.

References

Larano, Cris. "UPDATE:Philippines Econ Chief Quits To Prepare For Elections". [[Nasdaq]].
Mercado, Neil Arwin. (2021-09-13). "It's Senate run or retirement for Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto".
Ramos, Christia Marie. (2021-10-05). "Recto files COC for Batangas congressional seat".
(October 15, 2021). "Ralph Recto asks vote-rich Batangas to choose Isko Moreno". Rappler.
(2021-10-07). "Vilma Santos will not run in 2022 elections".
Sarao, Zacarian. (July 27, 2022). "Recto named 7th House deputy speaker".
(January 23, 2024). "House appoints Speaker Romualdez as caretaker of Recto's district". [[ABS-CBN News]].
(July 25, 2016). "Koko Pimentel takes Senate presidency by 20-3 vote". [[Philippine Daily Inquirer]].
(July 25, 2016). "Recto: Senate minority won't oppose just for the sake of it". Rappler.
"Recto replaces Drilon as Senate President pro tempore". Manila Bulletin.
(July 22, 2019). "Status quo: Tito Sotto reelected as Senate president". Rappler.
(September 21, 2018). "Rectos leave Liberal Party, join Nacionalista Party".
"ABS-CBN Interactive".
"abs-cbnnews.com".
(April 2018). "abs-cbnnews.com, Ermita: Recto is new NEDA chief}}{{dead link".
Gita-Carlos, Ruth Abbey. (January 11, 2024). "Ralph Recto to take oath as Finance chief on Jan. 12". Philippine News Agency.
Bajo, Anna Felicia. (January 12, 2024). "Marcos swears in Ralph Recto as Finance chief". GMA News.
(March 14, 2024). "Recto gets CA nod as Finance chief". [[The Manila Times]].
(May 5, 2025). "Marcos calls for courtesy resignation of all Cabinet secretaries in 'bold reset'".
(May 5, 2025). "No defiance here: Cabinet members follow Marcos call to resign".
P. Cigaral, Ian Nicolas. (May 22, 2025). "Recto, Pangandaman resign from Cabinet".
(May 22, 2025). "DFA chief Manalo to attend ASEAN despite courtesy resignation, sources say". GMA Integrated News.
(November 17, 2025). "Bersamin, Pangandaman resign; Recto appointed executive secretary". [[Rappler]].

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