POLITICS

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In 1998, she entered politics and ran for mayor of Lipa City, Batangas where she won by landslide victories in three consecutive elections. As the first woman mayor of Lipa City, she helped bring not just economic progress and infrastructure development to Lipa City, but more notably her various programs on public health, education and environment, which again earned various local and international awards and recognitions.

In 2005, the University of the Philippines conferred her the Gawad Plaridel Award for her achievements and contributions both as an actress and a public servant. In the same year she was conferred with honorary doctorate degree (honoris causa) in humanities by the Lipa City College. She was again honored in 2006 by the University of the Philippines as one of the four awardees in UP’s First Diwata Awards.

Dr. Vilma Santos is married to Senator Ralph Recto, who belongs to a well-known political clan in the Philippines. Together they have a son, Ryan Christian. She is also a mother to actor/model/television host Luis ‘Lucky’ Manzano, from previous marriage to actor Edu Manzano.

Mayor Santos-Recto - ran for Governor in the 2007 elections challenging incumbent governor and jueteng lord Arman Sanchez and even her brother-in-law, Vice Governor Richard Recto (who is said to be not in good terms with his brother). People in Batangas were eagerly waiting for this match up. Mayor Santos-Recto’s decision to run for governor of the province of Batangas resulted in a family feud as Ricky,his brother-in-law, also said that he will run for the same post. After spending some time thinking about the predicament she was in, Mayor Santos-Recto said that she opted to give way to to Ricky but left people hanging as she said that she had until March 29 to decide and that it was still a long time before that date and anything may still happen. Mayor Santos-Recto was then being said to be interested in running as Congresswoman representing the 4th District of Batangas. To add spice to the situation, Vilma’s husband re-electionist Senator Ralph Recto announced to the media that they would not support the candidacy of Ricky.

During the weekly flag-raising at the Lipa City Hall last March 5, 2007, political leaders from different parts of the province gathered at the Lipa City Hall grounds to announce their support and ask Mayor Vilma Santos to run as Governor. Mayor Santos-Recto was too emotional to make a decision at that point and asked for a week to make up her mind.

She made her promise good to announce her decision, and on March 12, she announced before a jampacked crowd at the Lipa City Cultural Center that she will accept the people’s challenge and run for provincial governor. Banker Edwin Ermita, the son of incumbent Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, will be her runningmate.

She ran under the banner of Lakas CMD after being endorsed by Speaker Jose de Venecia as the official candidate of the majority party. Kampi adopted her as their official bet for Batangas Governor instead of incumbent Governor Arman Sanchez.

Governor of Batangas was proclaimed as the duly elected Governor-elect of the province of Batangas on May 21, 2007 after garnering 475,740 votes against Sanchez’s 344,969 for a winning margin of more than 130,000. She will be the first female governor of Batangas. Read More

On November 16, 2009, along with her husband Ralph Recto, she moved from Lakas-Kampi-CMD to Liberal Party.

Santos Recto won the May 10 (2010) gubernatorial derby as she earned almost 60% of votes casted in the country’s first automated elections. Sen. Recto has also been proclaimed as among the victorious senatorial candidates, while Vice Gov. Mark Leviste and all re-electionist Board Members prevailed over their respective rivals (Wow Batangas).

Awards and Recognitions in Socio-Civic/Public Service

2000	Boy Scout of the Philippines	Best Over-All Local Council Performance
2000	Asosasyon ng Komentarista at Anaunser sa Pilipinas	Outstanding mayor in Region IV
2000	Civil Service Commission	Outstanding City Mayor
2000	GMMSF	Recognition Award in Government Service
2001	Dept. of Health	Outstanding Local Executive
2002	Presidential Award	The Cleanest & Greenest Local Gov’t
2002	Ten Outstanding Young Achievers	Young Achievers Awardee
2003	Mary Kay Philippines	Woman With a Heart
2005	Gawad Suri Award	Exemplary Public Servant
2005	Government of Jersey City, NJ, USA	Hon. Key to the city of Jersey City (USA)
2005	International Association of Pediatric Dentistry	Exemplary Public Servant
2005	Bright Smiles Bright Futures (Sydney, Australia)	Bright Smiles Bright Futures Award
2005	UP College of Public Health Alumni Society	Honorary Member
2005	Pamilyang Pilipino Organization Inc (Ateneo)	Huwarang Pilipino Award
2005	Regional Sandugo	Outstanding Mayor Hall of Fame
2005	Lipa City Public College (Batangas, Philippines)	Doctor of Humanities, Honoris Causa
2006	Unlad Pilipinas Award	Unlad Pilipinas Award
2006	Survey among Filipino students	Ranked No. 1 – Positive Youth Role Model
2006	Dept. of Social Welfare Development	Outstanding City Mayor
2006	National Association of Dental Trade Inc.	Gawad Munting Ngiti Awardee
2007	People Asia Magazine	People of the Year
2007	BAYI	Exemplary Women
2007	The National Voluntary Blood Services	Outstanding Local Government Executive
2008	FAMAS	Exemplary Award
2009	University of North Eastern Philippines (Iriga)	Doctor of Humanities, Honoris Causa
2009	Malacanang Palace	One of the “Culture Friendly” LGUs
2009	PEMSEA	Recognition of Local Government
2010	Reader’s Digest Asia	Most Trusted Filipino in Survey – #17
2010	NCCT and the Department of Education	Lifetime Achievement Award
2010	Gawad Suri	Exemplary Award
2011	Go Negosyo, Babae Kapuso Ka ng Bayan	Starpreneur Awardee
2012	Pampelikulang Samahan ng mga Dalubguro	Gawad PASADO sa Serbisyo Publiko
2012	Community Based Monitoring System	Outstanding Local Government Executive

Source: www.batangas.gov.ph

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