Jejomar “Jojo” Binay Sr. is the standard bearer of the political party United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) in the upcoming 2016 presidential elections. He was the fifteenth Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines under the term of incumbent President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III.
He graduated with a degree in Political Science and Bachelor of Laws at the University of the Philippines College of Law. He then took his master’s in public administration and law at the University of the Philippines and the University of Sto. Tomas respectively.
After the EDSA revolution, Binay was appointed by then President Corazon C. Aquino as Officer-in-Charge of Makati City. Two years later, he won the mayorship in Makati and was re-elected twice, thereby serving three consecutive terms. Sometime during his mayoral term, he also served as Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman.
Above all his achievements, Binay has always been famous for his irrefutable appeal to the masses, especially the poor. This is mainly because Jojo Binay was not born into wealth unlike any other presidential candidate. He did not taste the privileges offered to the rich and powerful, and his parents died while he was still very young.
Knowing how it was to live a poor life, while serving as Mayor of Makati for 20 years, he led the growth of the city from being backward to the phenomenal and advanced metropolis. He has always displayed his support against inequality, injustice, and ignorance and poverty, earning him the title “True Man of the Common People”.
He knew poverty, endured, and overcame it through having proper education. So during his term in Makati, he gave special attention on education. He built the best public schools in the country and offered free books and other school supplies to students from pre-school to tertiary level.
He also dreamed, as a young boy, of the poor having equal rights to proper health care as the rich. So in Makati, medicines and other health services are free for the poor.
Binay’s impressive political background and undeniable appeal to the masses make him a tough contender in this year’s presidential elections. As a matter of fact, in the most recent pre-election survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) on February 5-7, Vice President Jojo Binay ranked first with 29% of the total votes, followed by Senator Grace Poe and Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, both with 24% of the votes, Secretary Mar Roxas with 18% and Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago with 4% of the total nationwide votes.
Seemingly, despite numerous graft and corruption charges filed against Vice President Jejomar Binay in the latter part of 2015, it doesn’t affect his nationwide ratings. Thus, he remains the most trusted and most favored presidential candidate in the upcoming national elections.
Personal Details
Date of Birth: November 11, 1942
Place of Birth: Paco, Manila
Residence: Makati City
Civil Status: Married to Dra. Elenita Gabriel Sombillo
Children: Marie Lourdes Nancy, Atty. Mar-Len Abigail “Abby” (Makati City Representative (2nd District), Jejomar “Junjun” Erwin (Makati City Councilor, vying for Mayor post in 2010), Marita Angeline, Joanna Marie Blanca
Educational Attainment
- Binay finished basic education at the Philippine Normal College Training Department and graduated from the University of the Philippines preparatory high school.
- He continued his college at the University of the Philippines in Diliman with a degree in Political Science and graduated in 1962.
- He pursued Law in the same university in 1963 and graduated in 1967; and passed the bar exams in 1968.
- He also took up Masters in Public Administration, Major in Local Government Management in the University of the Philippines
- 1980 – He also took Master of Laws in the University of Santo Tomas
- 1990 – He took up Masters in National Security Administration in the National Defense College of the Philippines
- He also took up Strategic Business Economic Program in the Center for Research and Communication
- 1992 – He took up a Non-Resident Command and General Staff Course at the Command and General Staff College, AFP
- 1992 – He took up the Senior executive Fellows Program at John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
- 1992 – He achieved Doctor of Public Administration (Honoris Causa) at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines
- 1993 – He received a Diploma in Land Use Program in the School of Urban Regional Planning in University of the Philippines
- 1996 – He finished the Top Management Program at the Asian Institute of Management (Bali, Indonesia)
- 1997 – He also took up Joint Services and Command Staff Course at the Joint Services and Command Staff College, AFP
- 1998 – He also took up Masters in Management at the Philippine Christian University
- 2004 – He received a Diploma in Environmental and Natural Resources Management at the University of the Philippines Open University
Career Timeline
Binay taught at the Philippine College of Commerce (now Polytechnic University of the Philippines), Philippine Women’s University, and St. Scholastica’s College
1968: He passed the Bar Exams
He also passed the professional Career Service Examinations, and the General Clerical Examinations.
1986-1987: Binay was appointed as acting Mayor of Makati, then just a municipality. He was the first local executive to be appointed after the EDSA Revolution.
He became Governor (Concurrent Capacity) of the Metropolitan Manila Commission but left in less than a year to start campaigning for the mayoralty race in Makati.
1988-1998: He was elected Mayor of Makati and served for three consecutive terms. When Makati was converted into a highly-urbanized city in 1995 by virtue of R.A.7854, Binay became the first Chief Executive of the City Government of Makati.
1990-1992: While serving as mayor of Makati, he was concurrently chair of the Metro Manila Authority for two terms under the Aquino administration.
1998-2001: After completing his 3 consequtive terms as Makati mayor, Binay fielded his wife to take over. While he was still active—though from the sidelines—in the Makati politics, he returned to MMDA as chair. Under the Estrada administration, he was also co-chair of the Task Force on Traffic Improvement and Management for Metro Manila and Suburbs, and was co-chair of the Pasig Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC).
2001-2007: After breaking the 3-consequtive-terms limit set by law, he returned to reclaim the post as Mayor of Makati City. He served another 3 consequtive terms.
October 21, 2009: Joseph Estrada-Jejomar Binay tandem for the 2010 elections was formally announced
Affiliations
- Founding Member and former Vice-Chair, Movement of Attorneys for Brotherhood, Integrity and Nationalism, Inc. (MABINI)
- Founder, August Twenty One Movement (ATOM)
- Manila Chapter chair, Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG)
- Former National President, Boy Scouts of the Philippines
- Former Chair, The World Organization of the Scout Movement Asia Pacific Regional Scout Committee
- President, United Opposition
Awards and Citations
- Outstanding chairman, Metro Manila Development Authority – September 19, 1992
- Award on the Luzon Campaign Medal – November 10, 1992
- Special Presidential Award for Service – June 15, 2002
- Leadership Award, Presidential Citation – October 6, 2002
- Most Outstanding City Mayor of Makati and Consumers Advocate Award – July 4, 2003
- U. P. Oblation Run Award – February 7, 2004
- Centennial Medal of Honor – June 4, 2005
- Outstanding Public Official and Great Achiever – October 28, 2005
- World Mayor Award granted by London-based City Mayors, a think tank on urban affairs – December 2006
Sources: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNWxR121fsc, http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/02/24/10/binay-hit-using-cory-magic-new-pol-ad, http://jojobinay.ph, www.jejomarbinay.com.ph, www.makati.gov.ph, http://news.abs-cbn.com/botomo/05/13/09/profile-jejomar-jojo-cabauatan-binay