Senators on Thursday, January 11 welcomed the appointment of their former colleague and Batangas Rep. Ralph Recto as the new Department of Finance (DOF) chief. 

“I wholeheartedly welcome the appointment of our dear friend, Senator Ralph Recto, as our new Finance Secretary,” Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri said in a statement.

“In the Senate, we always regarded him as the resident numbers genius. This was not just for his mathematical ability, but more importantly for his ability to immediately see the big picture implications of these numbers,” the Senate leader added. 

Zubiri also said Recto understands the most on how to “bridge the gap between the abstractions of mathematics and the very concrete realities that we face as a nation.”

“So I have no doubt that he will be a good Finance Secretary, who will continue to push the country along on the road to greater economic prosperity,” he said. 

Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero also said that having served in the Senate and House of Representatives and as former National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) chief, Recto is an able and capable addition to President Marcos’ Cabinet.

Escudero said he is certain that Recto as Finance chief will ensure that the government will be able to continue to sustain the economic gains “we have thus, far achieved.”

“I wish him well and would like to express my support not only in the CA (Commission on Appointments) but in his endeavours as the new SOF (secretary of finance),” Escudero said. 

Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, for his part, believes it is a “well-deserved appointment.”

“(It’s a) well deserved appointment and I commiserate with Sec. Recto on his assumption to a difficult job at a very turbulent moment,” Pimentel said. 

Having served together with him at the Senate, Sen. Sonny Angara, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, said he too can attest to Recto's political acumen and sterling intellectual abilities.

"His knowledge of the political and fiscal structures of the country will serve us well in the future. We wish him well," Angara said. 

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian also congratulated Recto on his appointment as new finance secretary, saying his extensive experience in finance and economic policy makes him a valuable addition to the economic team.

"And I am confident in his ability to drive initiatives that will efficiently implement reforms in the country’s tax system," said Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.

Gatchalian said his panel is looking forward to working collaboratively with him "to realize our shared objectives and foster a more robust, prosperous future for our nation."