The current governor of Batangas is Vilma Santos-Recto, former Lipa City Mayor and movie/television actress who took oath on June 30th, 2007 as the first lady governor of the province. She is the first woman governor of the province. She was previously the first woman mayor of Lipa City. - Batangas Now (READ MORE)
First Female Governor - "...Gov. Vi’s devotion to her role as mother of the province has resulted in numerous awards and citations. These, she shares with the men and women in her administration, who work tirelessly toward the accomplishment of projects being undertaken; and all Batangueños, who continuously support her administration and believe in her capabilities as an honest and dependable leader..." - Batangas.gov.ph (READ MORE)
"...Governor Vi, as she is now fondly called, was the first woman mayor of Lipa, Batangas. She served for three consecutive terms. She also became the first female governor of Batangas Province and was re-elected for her second term during the May 2010 elections. Many people know of her acting awards, but Gov. Vi has also been getting recognition for her unrelenting service to Batangas and the people. She has been recognized as Most Outstanding Mayor four times during her term by the Civil Service Commission and numerous organizations. She has also been part of the Ten Outstanding Young Leaders in the country and has brought many distinctions to the City of Lipa. Despite these, Gov. Vi has worked silently and has focused her time and energy in developing Batangas. Here accomplishment can be seen in the development of her territory. As Governor, she has launched her H.E.A.R.T.S. Program which aims to improve Health, Education, Agriculture, Roads and Tourism of Batangas..." - Joey Concepcion (READ MORE)
Barako Country - "...Pagkatapos ng termino niya bilang Batangas governor, ang pagiging senador o vice president ng bansa ba ang sunod na tatakbuhin niya?
"Hindi," tanggi ni Governor Vi. "Wala. I swear. Wala talaga akong plano. Maniwala kayo. Kung saan ako dadalhin, okey. Kung hindi na rin, okey din. I don't plan things... when it comes to politics lang naman. Pero inilagay Niya ako rito, so may purpose Siya. Kaya ang dasal ko lang lagi, 'I-guide Mo lang ako. Kasi, hindi madali ang politics. Hindi madali. Naku, maniwala kayo! Although ang pinaka... lagi kong guide, para mapaganda ko 'yong trabaho ko, ang guide ko lang dito—hindi lahat, pinagkakatiwalaan ng ganyan. Yon na lang ang bayad ko, e. Lalo na ang Batangas, barako country. First woman mayor, first woman governor. Para pagkatiwalaan ka ng ganyan, legacy mo na 'yan, e. Iyon na lang ang pinanghahawakan ko, e, di ba? Kapag naramdaman niyang may calling para tumakbo siyang senador, tatanggapin niya? Hindi ko alam kung kakayanin ko 'yong trabaho. Sana. Kasi, iba na 'yan. Pag inilgay ako, okey. Pero hindi natin masabi, e. Pero ang point ko kasi, kung bakit hindi ako nagsasalita nang patapos, iba kasi 'yong nagpaplano. Alam mo 'yong ibig kong sabihin? Iba 'yon, e. Na pagkatapos nito, 'eto. Hindi, e. Ako, wala. You still want me? Vote for me. I'll serve ..." - Ruben Marasigan (READ MORE)
The Dawning of the New Day - "...At exactly eight in the morning, as the returning sun beats with a vengeance down on the crowd gathered at the lawn in front of the Capitol building for the first official flag ceremony, VILMA SANTOS RECTO takes her place among the leaders, old and new, of Batangas. The employees, most of them who have grown up watching the governor take on her many roles as an actress, are skittish and excitable. You get a sense that, for them, the petite, five-feet-flat actress is just portraying one of her award-winning roles. No, she isn’t really going to be the governor. Look, she’s beside the more imposing ex-governor Antonio Leviste and the suave, smooth-talking provincial administrator. It still feels surreal. Cameras from cellphones flash, and even during the somber flag-raising, all eyes are trained on her. She’s aware of this, even if at the moment, she doesn’t let on. “Every day is still a learning process for me,” the newly-appointed governor shares thoughtfully a few hours later, back at the cool confines of her office. “I’m apprehensive about the expectations. I just want to be magnanimous about the victory I got. People need to understand my priorities, support them, and do what they need to do. This is not even for me, you know?” Judging from the still star-struck faces of most, it’s a reality that may take a while to set in, but the tough politician who’s turned a city around is not one to easily give up. When she takes the stand to speak for the very first time as their governor, a quiet, expectant hush falls over the crowd. You could hear a pin drop. And then Vilma, who never disappoints, gravely said, “We’re all in this together. Kami dito sa stage walang payong, kaya ibaba ninyo ang mga payong ninyo. Kung kami maiinitan, lahat ay maiinitan (We don’t have umbrellas here, so fold yours. If we take the heat, so should you.)” There’s a moment of silence before giddy laughter erupts and then from somewhere, scattered burst of applause cracks the stillness until the whole plaza joins in, and as they have always been since she was nine, people unwittingly feel under Vilma Santos Recto’s magic spell. The first lady governor of Batangas smiles triumphantly, surveys her audience with a fond look, and steps up to the dais, bravely facing the dawning of the new day..." - Krizette Laureta (READ MORE)
"...Batangas is a first class province of the Philippines located on the southwestern part of Luzon, kilala bilang “Industrial Port City of Calabarzon”. Isa rin ito sa pinaka popular tourist destination near Metro Manila. Hindi lang beaches ang panghikayat sa mga turista. Kabilang dito ang mga diving spots ng Anilao, Matabungkay (madalas venue ng seminar ng FSC at PMPDA) Punta Fuego, Calatagan and Laiya. Kung pagkain naman ang pag-uusapan, there are lots of Batangas food you’ll love. Batangueños are skilled cooks and fiestas around the towns and barrios will show their expertise in cooking...Kung showbiz personalities naman ang pag-uusapan hindi rin papahuli ang Batangas dyan. Nagunguna sa listahan si Congressman Manhik-Manaog o Don Robert Dinero sa telebisyon. Ito’y wala ng iba kundi si Leo Martinez. Di nga bat nai-feature pa ang bagoong balayan sa kanyang music album....Vilma Santos—Recto, though she was born in Bamban, Tarlac, eh naging Mayor ng Lipa City where she won by landslide victories in three consecutive elections. Siya lang naman ang kauna-unahang babaeng Mayor at kasalukuyang Governor ng Batangas..." - Julie Ann Nunez (READ MORE)
