Francis Tolentino

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
Tolentino in 2019
Senator of the Philippines
Incumbent
Assumed office June 30, 2019
Chair of the Philippine Senate Local Government; Urban Planning, Housing, and Resettlement Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office July 22, 2019
Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs
In office July 11, 2017 – October 17, 2018
President	Rodrigo Duterte
Preceded by	Ronald Llamas
Chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
In office July 2010 – October 7, 2015
President	Benigno S. Aquino III
Preceded by	Oscar Inocentes
Succeeded by	Emerson Carlos
Mayor of Tagaytay
In office June 30, 1995 – June 30, 2004
Succeeded by	Abraham Tolentino
Personal details
Born	Francis Ng Tolentino[1] Guinobatan, Albay, Philippines
Political party	PDP–Laban (2016–present)
Occupation	Environmentalist
Profession	Lawyer
Website	Official website
Military service
Allegiance	Philippines
Branch/service	Philippine Army
Rank	Brigadier General

Francis Ng Tolentenino is a Filipino politician.

Early life

Francis Tolentino was born and raised in Guinobatan, Albay, Philippines, to parents Isaac and Elena Tolentino. Isaac, who died on July 2016, was a former Mayor of Tagaytay.[2] He grew up and studied elementary school in Tagaytay, Cavite and for some time in Pasay and Mandaluyong. He pursued his secondary education in Lourdes School of Mandaluyong. He also attended the Far East Military Academy for a year.[3]

Tolentino earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy in 1980 from the Ateneo de Manila University and his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1984 from the same university's law school. He passed both the Philippine Bar and New York Bar Exams. [4]

He later earned a Master of Laws degree from the University of London, choosing to specialize in Public International Law.[4]

He also earned a Master of National Security Administration (MNSA) degree from the National Defense College of the Philippines and a Graduate Diploma in Public Administration from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service of New York University.[4] He pursued his SJD (Doctor of Juridical Science) studies at Tulane University Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana.

He is a Brigadier General of the Philippine Army (Reserve). He studied at the Military College of South Carolina (Citadel), USA and graduated from the Command and General Staff College and the National Defense College of the Philippines.

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.[5]

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.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman

Tolentino overseeing the dryrun conducted as preparation for the 2015 papal visit of Pope Francis in the Philippines.

On July 27, 2010, Tolentino was appointed by President Benigno Aquino III 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.

On August 2013, Tolentino, as MMDA chairman, launched the first Metro Manila Integrated Bus Terminal known as the Southwest Integrated Provincial Transport Terminal (SWIPTT).[6]

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.[7]

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.[8] [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 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.

2019 Campaign

Tolentino is running in the 2019 Philippine Senate election and is endorsed by President Rodrigo Duterte.[13]

Tolentino successfully secured the 9th senate seat in the 2019 elections and will be serving as a Senator of the Philippines until 2025. [14]

References

1. "List of Certified Candidates" (PDF). COMELEC. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2019.
2. Corrales, Nestor (July 6, 2016). "Duterte visits wake of ex-Tagaytay mayor". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
3. "About Francis Tolentino | Francis Tolentino Para sa Pilipino". Retrieved 28 September 2015.
4. "Get to Know the Chairman". Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. Archived from the original on 22 January 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
5. "Former Tagaytay mayor is new MMDA chief". ABS-CBN News. 27 July 2010. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
6. "Southwest Integrated Provincial Transport Terminal (SWIPTT)". Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
7. Calleja, Niña (20 September 2013). "New billboard pact:Giants out, 'green' in". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
8. "MMDA to resume Pasig River ferry service April 28". motioncars. INQUIRER.net. 20 March 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
9. "Pasig River ferry system: More stations, Android app soon". Rappler. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
10. "Summer Student Film Festival". mmda.gov.ph.
11. Carballo, Bibsy (26 November 2012). "A close look at MMFF's New Wave". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
12. Valisno, Jeffrey (22 November 2010). "MMDA chief scraps box office standing when determining film fest Best Picture". Agimat. Anino Design. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
13. Elemia, Camille. "Duterte officially endorses 11 chosen candidates for May 2019". Rappler.
14. "Second time's a charm: Francis Tolentino makes it to Senate".

External links

• New MMDA chief appointed

Preceded by Oscar Inocentes	Chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority 2010 – 2015	Succeeded by Emerson Carlos