Francis Pangilinan

Francis Pangilinan
File:Francis Pangilinan appointed PAFSAM 5.6.14.png Pangilinan at the Malacañang Palace in 2014
Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization
In office May 6, 2014 – September 15, 2015
President	Benigno Aquino III
Succeeded by	Fredelita Guiza
Senator of the Philippines
In office June 30, 2001 – June 30, 2013
Majority Floor Leader of the Senate of the Philippines
In office July 24, 2004 – November 17, 2008
President	Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Preceded by	Loren Legarda
Succeeded by	Juan Miguel Zubiri
Councilor of Quezon City
In office 1988–1992
Personal details
Born	Francis Pancratius Nepomuceno Pangilinan (1963-08-24) August 24, 1963 Manila, Philippines
Political party	Liberal Party (2001–present) LDP (1988–92)
Spouse	Sharon Cuneta ​ (m. 1996)​
Children	4, including KC Concepcion
Residence	Quezon City
Alma mater	University of the Philippines Diliman Harvard University
Profession	Lawyer

Francis Nepomuceno Pangilinan (born August 24, 1963), also known as Kiko Pangilinan, is a Filipino politician and was a Senator of the Philippines from 2001 to 2013, where he also served as Senate Majority Leader from 2004 to 2008. In May 2014, Pangilinan was appointed Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization by President Benigno Aquino III. but resigned from his post in September 2015 to seek for another senate position under the Liberal Party of the Philippines.

Early life

Francis Pancratius Nepomuceno Pangilinan was born on August 24, 1963 in Manila to Donato Pangilinan, an engineer and entrepreneur from Pampanga, and Emma Nepomuceno, a public school teacher from Nueva Ecija and Marinduque. He has eight siblings.

As a varsity athlete, he was an NCAA and UAAP track & field and Volleyball gold and silver medalist in the 80s. He ran the 400 meter hurdles and the 4 × 400 m relay in the La Salle HS Track & Field team and played HS and College Varsity Volleyball for La Salle and UP.

Pangilinan first made his mark as a young lawyer giving free legal assistance on-air and closely monitored case progress through the television program Hoy Gising! over ABS-CBN where he was a co-anchor and segment host. He also anchored radio programs, including Batas and Relos Report with Atty. Kiko over DZMM, programs aimed at making the Philippine’s legal court system more understandable to the masses by increasing their understanding of their rights and duties under the law.

As a writer, had an opinion column in the Times Journal in the 80s and the Manila Times in the 90s.

As an educator and academician, he taught constitutional, labor and civil law at the Ateneo de Manila University from 1993 to 2000.

In 1997, he left the country for Boston, Massachusetts, along with his wife Sharon Cuneta and daughter, to pursue his Master of Public Administration at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government where he graduated with a general average of A-.

After an 18-month hiatus from local broadcast media, he returned by conceptualizing and then hosting “Barangay Dos”, a service-oriented television program aired over ABS-CBN, dedicated to finding solutions to the everyday problems of the common Filipinos. The program established him as an intelligent, articulate, working, and involved lawyer and a media personality.

He led his Senate Volleyball team to win the championship in the Senate Olympics held last July 2008.

Education

He completed his elementary education at La Salle Green Hills in 1977. He completed his secondary education still in La Salle Green Hills in 1981.

He finished his college education and graduated from University of the Philippines Diliman with a Bachelor of Arts in English, Major in Comparative Literature.

It was during his college years at the UP Diliman when his sense of nationalism deepened. A summer job working for his father in the hinterlands of Antique brought him face to face with the poverty and the impotence of government presence and basic services in the rural areas.

He served as chairman of the UP Diliman University Student Council in 1986 under the student political party SAMASA and was the first Student Regent of the UP Board of Regents in 1987. He was elected Philippine representative to the Committee on Youth Cooperation of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

In 1997, he finished his post-graduate studies at the Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government with a degree of Master of Science in Public Administration with an area of concentration in Strategic Management.

Political career

Quezon City Councilor (1988–1992)

He believes in active citizenship that is why his involvement in civic affairs began even as a student in high school. He has over 21 years of civic and public service experience. He was the youngest elected city councilor of the Quezon City Council in 1988–1992. During his stint as QC councilor, he saw the need to unite and develop young legislators committed to strong, principled leadership among young legislators. He thus founded and established the National Movement of Young Legislators (NMYL) where he became founding president.

He remained an active organizer of multi-sectoral groups fighting for the return of decency, competence, and accountability to national leadership.

Senator of the Philippines (2001–2013)

Pangilinan was elected to the senate in 2001 and was re-elected six years thereafter.

Senate Majority Leader (2004–2008)

He was first elected as Senate Majority Leader in 2004. On July 23, 2007, Jinggoy was voted Senate president pro tempore, while Kiko Pangilinan is majority leader (following the assumption of Sen. Manuel Villar to the chamber's leadership of the 14th Congress).

Judicial Executive Legislative Advisory and Consultative Council (JELAC)

Formed in 2008, the Judicial Executive Legislative Advisory and Consultative Council (JELAC) was the brainchild of Kiko Pangilinan, first proposed on the July 16–17, 2007 Manila Hotel Summit on Extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances in the Philippines.

Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization (2014–2015)

In May 2014, Pangilinan was appointed as Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization - a Cabinet-level position under the Office of the President of the Philippines - by President Benigno Aquino III. In September 2015, Pangilinan announced his resignation from the post.

Personal life

He married to actress and television personality Sharon Cuneta on April 28, 1996. Together, they have two daughters and one adopted son. He is also the stepfather of actress and singer KC Concepcion, Cuneta's daughter whom he legally adopted.

Two other Pangilinan siblings also have connections in local showbiz via marriage. His sister, Angeli Pangilinan, is a popular talent manager who is married to singer Gary Valenciano. Another sibling, Anthony, is married to former beauty queen and actress, Maricel Laxa.

External links

• Kiko Pangilinan's Website
• Kiko's I-Site Profile
• Kiko's Senate Bio