• Senator, 15th Congress of the Philippines
• Chairman: Committee on Ways and Means
                  Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises
• Co-Chairman: Joint Oversight Committee on the Proper Implementation of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC)
  Joint Oversight Committee on the Official Development Assistance (ODA)
• Vice-Chairman: Committee on Public Services
• Member: Commission on Appointments
  Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations (Blue Ribbon Committee)
  Committee on Agrarian Reform
  Committee on Agriculture and Food
  Committee on Energy
  Committee on Environment and Natural Resources
  Committee on Finance
  Committee on Foreign Relations
  Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development
  Committee on Local Government
  Committee on National Defense and Security
  Committee on Public Works
  Committee on Rules
  Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development
  Congressional Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization
  Congressional Oversight Committee on Clean Air Act
• Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and Director General, National Economic Development Authority (July 28, 2008 – August 16, 2009)
• Independent Director, Union Bank (Sept. 28, 2007 – July 27, 2008)
• Senator, 13th Congress of the Philippines (2004 – 2007)
  • Chairman: Committee on Ways and Means
    Committee on Agrarian Reform
    Subcommittee on Basic and Higher Education and Culture
• Co-Chairman: Congressional Oversight Committee on the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program 
  Member: Committee on Accountability of Public Officers
              and Investigations (Blue Ribbon Committee)
  Committee on Accounts
  Committee on Agriculture and Food
  Committee on Civil Service and Government Reorganization
  Committee on Constitutional Amendments, Revision of Codes and Laws
  Committee on Education, Arts and Culture
  Committee on Energy
  Committee on Environment and Natural Resources
  Committee on Finance
  Committee on Foreign Relations
  Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises
  Committee on Health and Demography
  Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development
  Committee on Local Government
  Committee on National Defense and Security
  Committee on Peace, Unification and Reconciliation
  Committee on Public Order and Illegal Drugs
  Committee on Public Services
  Committee on Public Works
  Committee on Rules Committee on Trade and Commerce
  Congressional Oversight Committee on Labor and Employment
  Joint Congressional Power Commission
• Senator, 12th Congress of the Philippines (2001-2004)
  • Deputy Majority Floor Leader
  • Member, Commission on Appointments
  • Chairman: Committee on Ways and Means
                       Committee on Accounts
  • Co-Chairman: Congressional Oversight Committee on the Proper Implementation of the National Internal Revenue Code Congressional
    Oversight Committee on Official Development Assistance (ODA)
    Congressional Oversight Committee on the Special Purpose Vehicle Act
  • Vice-Chairman: Committee on Finance Committee on Social Justice, Welfare & Rural Development 
  • Member: Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations (Blue Ribbon Committee)
    Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions, & Currencies
    Committee on Economic Affairs
    Committee on Education, Arts and Culture
    Committee on Energy Committee on Games, Amusement & Sports
    Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises
    Committee on Health and Demography
    Committee on Local Government
    Committee on National Defense and Security
    Committee on Public Services
    Committee on Public Works
    Committee on Science and Technology
    Committee on Trade and Commerce Joint Congressional Power Commission
    Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003
• Representative, 4th District of Batangas
  • 11th Congress of the Philippines (1998 – 2001)
    • Chairman: Committee on Economic Affairs
  • 10th Congress of the Philippines (1995 – 1998)
    • Chairman: Special Committee on Poverty Alleviation
      Subcommittee on Information Technology Subcommittee on Economic Integration and Opportunities
• 9th Congress of the Philippines (1992 – 1995)
  • Chairman: Subcommittee on Countryside Development
• Major Laws Principally Authored/Sponsored
  • General Tax Amnesty (RA 9480)
  • Amendments to BCDA (RA 9400)
  • BCDA’s One-Time Tax Amnesty (RA 9399)
  • Lifting of the 70% Cap on Input VAT (RA 9361)
  • Extension of RA 9182 (Special Purpose Vehicle Act of 2002) (RA 9343)
  • Amendments to the Rent Reform Act (RA 9341)
  • Amendments to the National Internal Revenue Code (RA 9337) – (Expanded VAT & Increase in Corporate Income Tax)
  • Lateral Attrition Act of 2005 (RA 9335)
  • Increasing the Excise Tax Rates on Alcohol and Tobacco Products (RA 9334)
  • Philippine Overseas Shipping Act (RA 9301)
  •  Domestic Shipping Act (RA 9295)
  • Restoring the Tax Exemption of Offshore Banking Units (OBUs) and Foreign Currency Deposit Units (FCDUs) (RA 9294)
  • Expanding the Jurisdiction of the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) (RA 9282)
  •  Rationalizing the Provisions of Documentary Stamp Tax (RA 9243)
  •  Excluding Several Services from VAT Coverage (RA 9238)
  •  Rationalization of Excise Tax on Automobiles (RA 9224)
  •  Special Purpose Vehicle Act of 2002 (RA 9182)
  •  Barangay Micro Business Enterprises Act of 2002 (RA 9178)
  •  Film Development and Incentives Board (RA 9167)
  •  Rent Reform Act of 2001 (RA 9161) § Retail Trade Liberalization Law (RA 8762)
  •  Regional Headquarters Law (RA 8756)
  •  Amendments to the Special Economic Zone Law (RA 8748)
  •  Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act (RA 8425)
•  Major Laws Co-Authored
  • Magna Carta for Disabled Persons (RA 9442)
  • Prohibiting the Detention of Live or Dead Patients in Hospitals on Grounds of Nonpayment of Hospital Bills (RA 9439)
  • Strengthening the Regulatory Functions of the POEA (RA 9422)
  • An Act to Strengthen the Office of the Solicitor General (RA 9417)
  • Biofuels Act of 2006 (RA 9367)
  •  Special Economic Zone Law (RA 7916)
  • Comprehensive Tax Reform Law (RA 8424)

EDUCATION

• Doctor of Humanities, honoris causa
  •  Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology 2009
•  Masters Degree in Strategic Business Economics
  •  University of Asia and the Pacific, Ortigas, Pasig City 1994
•  Masters Degree in Public Administration
  •  University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City 1991
•  Bachelor of Science in Commerce, Major in Business Administration
  •  De La Salle University, Manila 1987
•  Secondary Education
  •  De La Salle, Greenhills, San Juan 1982
•  Elementary Education
  •  Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City 1978

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES, SYMPOSIA, SEMINARS & SUMMITS

• Head, Philippine Delegation to the 17th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development New York, U.S.A., May 13-15, 2009
• Alternate Governor, Philippine Delegation to the Joint International Monetary Fund-World Bank Annual Meeting Washington D.C., U.S.A., October 9-13, 2008
•  Official Delegate of the Philippines, United Nations General Assembly and Millennium Development Goals High-Level Meeting New York, U.S.A., September 20-26, 2008
•  Official Delegate of the Philippines, World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference Hong Kong, China, Dec. 13-18, 2005
•  Official Delegate, 3rd International Conference of Asian Political Parties Beijing, People’s Republic of China, September 2-5, 2004
•  Official Delegate of the Philippines, World Trade Organization Conference Cancun, Mexico, September 9-13, 2003
•  Delegate, Study Tour for Philippine Government Officials on Fiscal Discipline in the Budget and Appropriations Process Washington D.C., USA, May 12 – 16, 2003
•  Official Delegate of the Philippines, World Economic Forum New York City, USA, February 1-3, 2002
•  Guest Speaker, 4th Bi-National Conference US Federation of Philippine-American Chamber of Commerce, Inc. Garden Grove, California, USA, May 1999
•  Official Delegate of the Philippines, Joint World Bank (WB) -International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual Meeting Washington, D.C., USA, October 1998
•  Official Delegate of the Philippines, 2nd General Assembly of the World Scout Parliamentary Union Manila Hotel, Philippines, August 1997
•  Participant, Leadership for the 21st Century: Chaos, Conflict and Courage – John F. Kennedy School of Government Harvard University, USA, March 1997
•  Official Delegate of the Philippines, Asia-Europe Young Leaders Symposium Miyazaki, Japan, March 1997
•  Official Delegate of the Philippines, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit Manila, Philippines, November 1996
•  Participant, The Role of Congress within the U.S. Political System, United States International Visitors Program of the U.S. Information Agency Washington D.C., USA, May 1993
•  Official Delegate of the Philippines, Asia Pacific Parliamentarians Union Manila, Philippines, March 1993
•  Official Delegate of the Philippines, Asia Pacific Parliamentarians Union Taiwan, September 1992

PERSONAL INFORMATION