Feliciano Belmonte, Jr.

Philippines Twitter-Feliciano "Sonny" Racimo Belmonte, Jr. (born October 2, 1936, in Manila) is a member of the Philippine House of Representatives representing the Fourth District of Quezon City. He is also the house speaker of the Congress from 2010 to present. He was the mayor of Quezon City from 2001-2010.

Early Life and Career

Belmonte was born to judge Feliciano Belmonte, Sr. and Luz Racimo. He attended grade school in Baguio City and earned his high school diploma at the San Beda College in Manila. He finished Law at the Lyceum of the Philippines; while in law school, he worked as a reporter at the Manila Chronicle, covering the police beat and events at the Philippine Commission on Elections.

Belmonte began his government service as the Presidential Staff Assistant of Pres. Diosdado Macapagal. He also worked as a Special Assistant for the Commissioner of Customs, and as an Executive Assistant at the Central Bank of the Philippines.In 1986, President Corazon Aquino assigned him to head various financially struggling government-owned corporations. He became President and General Manager of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and the Manila Hotel and chairman of the National Reinsurance Corporation of the Philippines. He also represented the government as member of the board of directors of the San Miguel Corporation and the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT). More importantly, he assumed the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of the Philippine Airlines, which was then wholly owned by the Philippine government.

Mayor of Quezon City (2001-2010)

In 2001, he ran for the position of Mayor of Quezon City and won, and was re-elected in 2004 and in 2007. As Mayor of Quezon City, his nine years of prudent fiscal management, aggressive tax management strategies, as well as increasing efficiency and growing discipline in the management, and use of City resources has made Quezon City the most competitive city of Metro Manila, and second in the Philippines today. These are rankings made by businessmen in the Philippines in studies of the Asian Institute of Management, in cooperation with international agencies. Quezon City was cited for the dynamism of its local economy, the quality of life of its residents, and the responsiveness of the local government in addressing business needs, among others.

In 2007, Quezon City was ranked No. 7 Asian City of the Future, based on a survey commissioned by the London Financial Times through a consultancy based in Singapore.

In a 2008 Tholons special report on global services, Quezon City ranked as the number 21 emerging global outsourcing city, the highest among all nine new entrants.

Personal life

Belmonte was a member of the Manila Jaycees, the Rotary Club of Manila and the Knights of Rizal.

He was married to Betty Go-Belmonte (1934–1994), founder of The Philippine Star. They have four children: Isaac, Kevin, Miguel and Joy. Their three sons are also holding editorial and managerial positions in the Philippine Star and their sister publications like Pilipino Star Ngayon and PM tabloids published in the Filipino vernacular, as well as the Cebu-based newspaper The Freeman. His daughter currently serves as the Vice Mayor of Quezon City.