Mr. Nice Guy

There is a reason why the public and most people like Ralph Recto as a person, as the partner of Ate Vi, as a politician and as a government official.

It is simply because he is a nice guy.

In his current position as Finance Secretary, Ralph Recto is proving this once again to the young generation of business reporters.

During the induction of the 2024 officers of the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP) at the the Department of Finance building along Roxas Boulevard Thursday last week, Secretary Recto relaxed, vaped away and enjoyed himself with the EJAP officers, sharing snippets of his private and public life, and of likewise embracing the neutrality pledge of “a friend to all and enemy to none.”

His education, from the start, allowed him to gain friends, initially from Ateneo, then La Salle Greenhills, and finally from the University of the Philippines. During the collegiate basketball season, he remained neutral, cheering both for Ateneo and La Salle.

In politics, he likewise revealed, he eventually makes friends with his political foes, hopefully ensuring a long political career, but adding “maybe too long,” but again letting on that he may run once again in 2028 for the sixth district in Batangas.

In fact, he is also encouraging his son, Ryan to “do a tour of duty” and run for an elective office at least once. Even Ate Vi, he said, is also mulling another try at politics. However, he does not really see all three of them being in an elective post at the same time, “maybe two.”

But his biggest success in amiability is keeping Ate Vi “a happy wife,” ensuring him “a happy life.”

However, he jokingly reveals that he was quicker to say yes to Ate Vi when she asked him to marry her, than he did to President Marcos asking him to be finance secretary! Eventually, of course, he admits, “it’s hard to say no to the President.”

Secretary Recto served in Congress with President Marcos from 1992 to 1995 and likewise in the Senate from 2010 to 2016.

Beach lover and swimmer

For this Holy Week, Secretary Recto and his family will already be in Punta Fuego in Batangas, as he had already given instruction that Wednesday will be work from home for the DOF staff.

He admits to being a beach lover and likes to swim whenever he is by the sea. He also dives even though he has never gotten certification as a diver. But even though he likes the sea, Secretary Recto is a meat eater, as most Batangueños are, he claims. His favorite meat dish? Corned beef, particularly Delimondo.

Ate Vi, he said, has one specialty – a one meal dish of baked corned beef – made with noodles, topped with corned beef, white sauce and cheese, which they all enjoy.

Global Money Week

Visa, a world leader in digital payments that facilitates payments transactions among consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories each year, Friday last week held the Global Money Week (GMW) to help raise awareness among Filipino youth of the importance of financial literacy and inclusion for young people and adults.

In partnership with Aflatoun International (a global organization committed to empowering young people through social and financial education), the National Confederation of Cooperatives or NATCCO, and the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), Visa held the return of GMW and Aflatoun Day celebrations.

GMW is an annual global initiative raising awareness about the importance of financial literacy and inclusion for young people and adults. This year’s theme, “Protect your money, secure your future” emphasized the crucial role financial education plays in empowering individuals to manage their finances responsibly and build a secure future.

The event was held in Manila, among other international cities, at Visa’s Pasay office. Throughout the day – young people who were part of the Aflatoun programs, government officials, financial institutions representatives, educational institutions, as well as the private sector and NGOs, game changers and experts discussed and shared ideas on financial literacy challenges and opportunities faced by young people globally, regionally and locally.

There were also panel discussions on innovative solutions to real-world financial challenges that hopefully allowed participants to learn from best practices showcased by various stakeholders working in financial education and youth inclusion.

NATCCO, CDA and Visa joined other Aflatoun partners from more than 100 countries in highlighting the importance of financial education for all children and youth in the Philippines and around the world. Through a global online platform and a series of live streams, young Filipinos were able to connect with other young people from around the world.

Visa’s support for the event is in line with its worldwide commitment and experience in championing financial literacy and inclusion projects together with partners and other stakeholders.

The GMW event in the Philippines ended with the participants’ commitment to the Utrecht declaration: a pledge and roadmap for the evolution of social and financial education.