Francis Tolentino

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In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Ng and the surname or paternal family name is Tolentino.
The Honorable
Francis Tolentino
Senatorfrancistolentino.jpg
Senator Tolentino in 2020
Senator of the Philippines
Assumed office
June 30, 2019
Senate positions
Chair of the Philippine Senate
Local Government Committee
Assumed office
July 22, 2019
Preceded bySonny Angara
Chair of the Philippine Senate
Urban Planning, Housing, and Resettlement Committee
In office
July 22, 2019 –
Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs
In office
July 11, 2017 – October 17, 2018
PresidentRodrigo Roa Duterte
Preceded bySec. Ronald Llamas
Succeeded bySec. Jacinto Paras
Chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
In office
July 2010 – October 7, 2015
PresidentBenigno S. Aquino III
Preceded bySec. Oscar Inocentes
Succeeded bySec. Emerson Carlos
Mayor of Tagaytay
In office
June 30, 1995 – June 30, 2004
Preceded byBenjamin Erni
Succeeded byAbraham Tolentino
In office
1986–1987
Officer-in-charge
Appointed byCorazon Aquino
Personal details
Born
Francis Ng Tolentino[1]

(1960-01-03) January 3, 1960 (age 62)
Guinobatan, Albay, Philippines
Political partyPDP–Laban (2016–present)
Hugpong ng Pagbabago (c. 2019)
RelationsAbraham Tolentino (brother)
OccupationEnvironmentalist
ProfessionLawyer
WebsiteOfficial website
Military service
Allegiance Philippines
Branch/servicePhilippine Army
RankPHIL ARMY BGEN FD-Sh.svg Brigadier General

Francis Tolentino (Tagalog pronunciation: [nɐŋ tolɛnˈtino]; born January 3, 1960) is a Filipino politician and lawyer serving as a Senator since 2019. He served as Chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) from 2010 to 2015 and was the Mayor of Tagaytay from 1995 to 2004.

Early life[]

He grew up in Tagaytay, where he currently lives, but was born in Albay.[2]

Education[]

He obtained two Master of Laws degrees, one from the University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor where he concentrated on constitutional law, and another from the University of London in England specializing in public international law where he graduated Second Honors (with merit). He likewise graduated Master on National Security Administration at the National Defense College of the Philippines where he ranked 6th out of 55 graduates. He obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree from the Ateneo de Manila University Law School. He completed his doctor of juridical science studies at Tulane University Law School in New Orleans.

He passed the New York State Bar Exams as well as the Philippine Bar Exams in 1984 where he obtained a general average of 86.25%.[2][3] He also authored several articles on International Law and Constitutional Law.

Political career[]

Mayor of Tagaytay City[]

Tolentino was first appointed to the post of OIC Mayor of Tagaytay from 1986 to 1987 by former President Corazon Aquino. He ran unopposed in the 1995 general election for Mayor of Tagaytay and served for nine years from 1995 to 2004.[4]

Under his administration, he created the Tagaytay Office of Public Safety, which later became the basis of policies he put into force as chair of the MMDA. He also initialized the Character First programs which encourages governments, government leaders, civic organizations and religious organizations to band together to establish a "city" or "community" of character with character traits of a Filipino every month.

Chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority[]

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino

On July 27, 2010, Tolentino was appointed as the ninth chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). He is the first and only non-resident of Metro Manila to be appointed to the post.

In August 2013, Tolentino, as MMDA chairman, launched the first Metro Manila Integrated Bus Terminal known as the Southwest Integrated Provincial Transport Terminal (SWIPTT).[5]

On September 19, 2013, Tolentino signed the Metro Manila Outdoor Media Magna Carta along with various advertising groups, setting the terms for regulating outdoor advertisements in Metro Manila. Among the terms in the 15-page agreement were a 216-square meter limitation on all outdoor signs and structures, with 30 percent of the space of ground level ads allotted "for landscape works or vertical gardens". Prior to the signing of the document, no limit had been placed on the size of advertisements, such that a number of billboards as big as 1,000 square meters had been allowed. The document provided a nine-month grace period for advertisers to be able to comply.[6]

To address the traffic situation in Metro Manila and to offer transportation alternative to the public, Tolentino relaunched the Pasig River Ferry System last April 2014, in coordination with the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission and the Department of Transportation and Communications.[7][8]

As an environmentalist, one of his advocacies is environmental protection. His plans include creating alternative energy resources that would be beneficial for both the people and the environment. “ Today, what is the most serious threat to our freedom? It is the threat to our planet Earth and to Mother Nature itself, the threat to our very existence as human beings,” he pronounced in the 116th Anniversary of Philippine Independence in Guam last June 2014. Another advocacy that he is focusing on is the disaster calamity fund. He understands that Mother Nature is unpredictable and it is better to brace for the worst.[9]

As chair of the MMDA, Tolentino was also designated by Metro Manila Commission Executive Order No. 86-09 as chair of the annual Metro Manila Film Festival,[10] in which capacity Tolentino introduced a number of changes, including the introduction of new contest categories[11] and the removal of box office receipts from the criteria for the selection of best picture starting from the 2010 edition.[12]

2016 Senate campaign[]

Tolentino was originally included as a senate candidate in the LP-endorsed Daang Matuwid Koalisyon. However, things did not turn out well with the party. This eventually led to his independent candidacy and placed 13th.

Senator[]

Tolentino ran for senator in the 2019 Philippine Senate election. Endorsed by President Rodrigo Duterte, he is under the Hugpong ng Pagbabago and the informal Kilusang Pagbabago coalitions.[13]

Tolentino successfully secured the 9th place in the 2019 elections and is serving as a Senator of the Philippines until 2025.[14] He expressed support reinstatement of the death penalty.[15]

References[]

  1. ^ "Certified List of Candidates" (PDF). Commission on Elections. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Senator Francis N. Tolentino". Senate of the Philippines. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  3. ^ "Atty. Francis N. Tolentino". Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  4. ^ Santos, Alex (July 27, 2010). "Former Tagaytay Mayor is New MMDA Chief". ABS-CBNnews.com. Archived from the original on July 29, 2010. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  5. ^ "Southwest Integrated Provincial Transport Terminal (SWIPTT)". Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  6. ^ Calleja, Niña P. (September 20, 2013). "New Billboard Pact: Giants Out, 'Green' In". Inquirer.net. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  7. ^ "MMDA to Resume Pasig River Ferry Service April 28". Motioncars. Inquirer.net. March 20, 2014. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  8. ^ Cupin, Bea (April 28, 2014). "Pasig River Ferry System: More Stations, Android App Soon". Rappler. Archived from the original on March 24, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  9. ^ Gavel & Robe Magazine. February 2016. p. 44. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ^ "Summer Student Film Festival". 39th Metro Manila Film Festival. Archived from the original on December 28, 2013. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
  11. ^ Carballo, Bibsy M. (November 26, 2012). "A Close Look at MMFF's New Wave". Philstar Global. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  12. ^ Valisno, Jeffrey O. (November 22, 2010). "MMDA Chief Scraps Box Office Standing when Determining Film Fest Best Picture". Agimat. Anino Design. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  13. ^ Elemia, Camille (February 14, 2019). "Duterte Officially Endorses 11 Chosen Candidates for May 2019". Rappler. Archived from the original on November 15, 2019. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  14. ^ Cabico, Gaea Katreena (May 22, 2019). "Second Time's a Charm: Francis Tolentino Makes it to Senate". Philstar Global. Archived from the original on June 4, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  15. ^ Buan, Lian (December 2, 2018). "In TV Forum, Senate Bets vs Death Penalty Outnumber Supporters". Rappler. Archived from the original on November 16, 2019. Retrieved November 5, 2020.

External links[]

Media related to Francis Tolentino at Wikimedia Commons

Political offices
Preceded by
Benjamin Erni
 Mayor of Tagaytay
1995 – 2004 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
2010 – 2015 		Succeeded by
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