Vilma Santos

The Honorable Vilma Santos
Portrait during the 18th Congress
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives
In office August 13, 2019 – June 30, 2022 Serving with 33 others
House Speaker	Alan Peter Cayetano Lord Allan Velasco
Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from Batangas's 6th congressional district
In office June 30, 2016 – June 30, 2022
Preceded by	District established
Succeeded by	Ralph Recto
22nd Governor of Batangas
In office June 30, 2007 – June 30, 2016
Vice Governor	Jose Antonio Leviste II
Preceded by	Armando Sanchez
Succeeded by	Hermilando Mandanas
Mayor of Lipa
In office June 30, 1998 – June 30, 2007
Vice Mayor	Fernando Manguera (1998–2003) Lydio Lopez, Jr. (2003–2007)
Preceded by	Ruben Umali
Succeeded by	Oscar Gozos
Personal details
Born	Rosa Vilma Tuazon Santos (1953-11-03) November 3, 1953 (age 71) Bamban, Tarlac, Philippines
Political party	Nacionalista (2018–present)
Other political affiliations	Liberal (2009–2018) Lakas–CMD (1998–2009)
Spouses	Edu Manzano ​ ​ (m. 1980; ann. 1982)​ Ralph Recto ​ (m. 1992)​
Children	2 (Luis Manzano, Ryan)
Occupation	Actress, singer, dancer
Profession	Politician

Rosa Vilma Tuazon Santos-Recto (born November 3, 1953) is a Filipino actress and politician. She is recognized for her versatility in acting across various genres of film and television in the Philippines, earning her the title "Star for All Seasons."

She began her career as a child actress in the 1963 film Trudis Liit, for which she won her first FAMAS Award (Best Child Performer). She won the FAMAS Award for Best Actress for her dual role in Dama de Noche (1972). She has portrayed the superhero Darna in four films beginning with Lipad, Darna, Lipad! (1973). Santos produced Pagputi ng Uwak, Pag-itim ng Tagak (1978), which won both the FAMAS Award for Best Picture and the Gawad Urian for Best Film.

As a politician, Santos served as governor of Batangas for three consecutive terms and as mayor of Lipa for also three consecutive terms.^[1] She was elected as the Representative of the 6th District of Batangas which comprise only the City of Lipa in 2016. She was encouraged by various political parties to run for the Senate in 2019, but refused to do so.^[2] She also served as a House Deputy Speaker from 2019 to 2022 and as the Representative of Batangas' 6th district from 2016 to 2022.

Vilma Santos is widely considered the most lastingly successful Filipino film and television actress of all time.^[3] She was adjudged the greatest movie actress of the Philippines for the years 2000 to 2020 by the Philippine Entertainment Portal for her continued portrayal of a wide range of award-winning roles as well as for being a consistent box-office draw despite being in the industry for nearly six decades.^[4] Vilma's venture into politics made her semi-retire from showbusiness in the late 1990's yet she still emerged as the actress with the most number of local best actress awards so far in the 21st century.^[5]

She started her acting career when one of her uncles, who was a cameraman at Sampaguita Pictures, convinced her to try out for the movies. Initially, Sampaguita Pictures had planned a child star role for her in Anak, Ang Iyong Ina (1963). When Santos was in the studio, she noticed a long line of little girls. Thinking that that line was the line for her audition, she decided to queue in. The long line turned out to be for an audition for Sampaguita Pictures' offering Trudis Liit (Little Trudis).

When it was her turn to audition, she was asked by the panel to sing, dance and cry on cue. She got the part of "Trudis Liit" for which she received the FAMAS Awards Best Child Performer award for 1963.^[6]

She was cast in Sa Bawat Pintig ng Puso (1964), Maria Cecilia (1965), Kasalanan Kaya? (1968), Iginuhit ng Tadhana (1965) and later in its sequel Pinagbuklod ng Langit (1969).

In 1998, she entered politics and ran for mayor of Lipa City, Batangas where she won three consecutive elections, becoming the city's first female mayor.^[7]

In 2005, the University of the Philippines Diliman conferred on her the Gawad Plaridel Award for her achievements and contributions both as an actress and a public servant.^[8] In the same year she was conferred an honorary doctorate degree (honoris causa) in humanities by the Lipa City College.^[9] She was again honored in 2006 by UP Diliman as one of the four awardees in UP's First Diwata Awards.^[10]

In 2007, Santos-Recto was on her third and final term as Mayor of Lipa and was barred for seeking another term. She became a reluctant candidate for Governor of Batangas as her brother-in-law, incumbent Vice Governor Richard Recto, is seeking the governorship.

On March 5, 2007, during the regular flag-raising ceremony at the Lipa City Hall, Santos-Recto ask for a week to decide if she will run or not. This was attended by thousands of her supporters not only in Lipa but from different towns in Batangas. On March 12, 2007, she made her final decision, running for Governor of Batangas despite having her brother-in-law as her rival, including incumbent governor Arman Sanchez and former police chief Nestor Sanares.

On the day of her filing of her candidacy, Richard Recto decided to withdraw his candidacy and run for Congress instead.

Santos-Recto was proclaimed Governor-elect of Batangas on May 21, 2007, after garnering 475,740 votes against incumbent Arman Sanchez's 344,969, becoming the first female governor of the province. She was reelected to her second term as Governor of Batangas in 2010, defeating incumbent Santo Tomas Mayor Edna Sanchez, who substituted her husband Arman Sanchez who died few weeks before the election. She was re-elected to her third and final term as Governor in 2013.^[11]

After her election for her third and final term as Governor of Batangas, speculations circulated that Santos-Recto would run for the national level. However, she declined every offer to run for a higher level. She decided to run as the first representative of the newly formed 6th District of Batangas, would comprise only the City of Lipa. Santos-Recto won by a landslide, defeating Bernadette Sabili.^[12]

She became chairman of the Committee on Civil Service and Professional Regulation. However, she was removed from the post by the House leadership for her rejection of the reimposition of capital punishment. She is the vice chair of the Committee on Globalization and WTO and the Committee on Local Government. She is also a member of the committees on Basic Education and Culture, Cooperatives Development, Information and Communications Technology, Interparliamentary Relations and Diplomacy, Labor and Employment, Poverty Alleviation, Public Works and Highways, Southern Tagalog Development, Ways and Means, Welfare af Children, and Women and Gender Equality.

She is co-author of the SOGIE Equality bill (Anti-discrimination bill), Magna Carta for Day Care Workers, Maternity Leave Increase bill, Cancer Awareness bill, expanded Senior Citizens bill, and Post-graduate Education for Teachers bill.^[13]

In September 2018, she switched from the Liberal Party, where she was a member since 2009, to the Nacionalista Party.^[14]

On July 10, 2020, she is one of the 11 representatives who voted favor to grant ABS-CBN's legislative franchise.^[15] in which she supported the network's cause for the people and culture. ABS-CBN is also responsible for the restoration of some of her films as well as preservation, which includes Kapag Langit ang Humatol, Anak, Haplos, and Dekada '70.

Although she's eligible to run for a third term, and due to speculations that she might run for a national post, Santos-Recto decided not to seek another term to give way to her husband to run in the same position, nor run in any position in the 2022 elections, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vilma Santos-Recto is married to Senator Ralph Recto. They have one son, named Ryan Christian.^[16] She also has one son, Luis Manzano from her previous marriage to Edu Manzano.^[17]

• 1998 – Ading Fernando Lifetime Achievement Award – Star Awards for TV

• 1983 – FAMAS Medallion of Excellence (Child Actress)
• 1983 – FAMAS Medallion of Excellence (Lead Actress)
• 1983 – FAMAS Medallion of Excellence (Producer)
• 1989 – FAMAS Hall of Fame
• 1990 – PMPC Star Awards Darling of the Press
• 1990 – Gawad Urian Aktres ng Dekada '80 (Actress of the Decade '80)
• 1997 – FAP Lifetime Achievement Award
• 1998 – FAMAS Lifetime Achievement Award
• 1999 – PMPC Star Awards Special Citation for winning at the Brussels Int'l Film Festival
• 1999 – Natatanging Artista ng Taon
• 2000 – Gawad Urian Aktress ng Dekada '90(Actress of Decade '90)
• 2000 – Cinemanila Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2000 – Pelikula At Lipunan Special Award
• 2002 – Cinemanila Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2004 – Natatanging Gawad Tanglaw
• 2005 – PMPC Star Dekada Award in Acting
• 2005 – Feminist Centennial Filmfest – Outstanding Achievement in Film Acting
• 2005 – GAWAD PLARIDEL for Outstanding Achievement in Film
• 2005 – GMMSF All-Time Favorite Actress
• 2005 – Gawad Suri Award for Exemplary Film Practitioner
• 2006 – First Pioneer Filipino Animation Awards – for Darna, given by the United Animation Inc. and United Staffing Registry Inc.
• 2006 – University of the Philippines Diwata Awards
• 2008 – 25th PMPC Star Awards Lifetime Achievement Awardee
• 2008 – Fil-Am Visionary Legend Award
• 2009 – 7th ENPRESS Golden Screen Awards Lifetime Achievement Awardee
• 2009 – FAMAS Exemplary Achievement Awardee
• 2009 – Cinema One Original Filmfest Legend Award
• 2011 – Golden Screen Awards Movie Icon of our Time Awardee
• 2011 – Gawad Tanglaw Artista Ng Dekada
• 2012 – Yahoo Awards Major Impact
• 2014 – Cinema One Numero Uno Icon Award
• 2015 – NCCA Ani ng Dangal for Ekstra
• 2016 – FAMAS Presidential Award
• 2016 – FAP Golden Reel Award
• 2017 Gawad Tanglaw Presidential Jury Award - Best Film Performance
• 2017 – PMPC Star Awards for Movies Ginintuang Bituin ng Penikulang Pilipino
• 2017 – Natatanging Gawad Urian
• 2019 – Gawad Pasado Best Actress Hall of Fame (Films Bata Bata Paano Ka Ginawa?,(1998), Anak (2000), Dekada 70 (2002), Everything About Her (2017)
• 2019 – MMFF Best Actress Hall of Fame
• 2019 – PMPC Star Awards for Movies Natatanging Bituin ng Siglo
• 2019 – SPEED Awards for Movies – Eddys Icon Awards
• 2021 – PEP Greatest Movie Actress for the Years 2000-2021
• 2022 – MMFF Marichu Vera Perez Memorial Award
• 2023 – FDCP Sining Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2024 – GAWAD DANGAL - Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2024 – PMPC - Dekada Award
• 2024 – EdukSine- Pinay American Style - Gawad Alamat ng Sineng Filipino sa Harap ng Camera
• 2024 – CCP Cine Icons Series - Anak - UST - Award of Excellence
• 2024 – CCP Cine Icons Series - Anak - SPUQC - Certificate of Appreciation
• 2024 – FDCP - Tagos ng Dugo - Cinematheque - Certificate of Appreciation
• 2024 – FDCP - Bata, Bata, Paano Ka Ginawa? - Metropolitan Theater - Certificate of Appreciation

• 2000 – Anak Soundtrack
• 2005 – Vilma (CD, collection of 23 songs)

• 1969 – "Sixteen"
• 1969 – "Da Doo Ron Ron"
• 1969 – "Wonderful to Be in Love"
• 1969 – "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"
• 1970 – "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do"
• 1970 – "Something Stupid"
• 1970 – "Bring Back Your Love"
• 1970 – "You're All I Want for Christmas"
• 1970 – "I Wonder Why"
• 1971 – "Abadaba Honeymoon"
• 1971 – "Bobby, Bobby, Bobby"
• 1971 – "Dry Your Eyes"
• 1971 – "Love, Love"
• 1971 – "It's Been a Long Long Time"
• 1971 – "Baby Cakes"
• 1971 – "I Love You Honey"
• 1971 – "Then Along Came You, Edgar"
• 1971 – "Mandolin in the Moonlight"
• 1971 – "Sealed with a Kiss"
• 1971 – "Tweddle Dee"
• 1971 – "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head"
• 1971 – "Don't You Break My Heart"
• 1971 – "Wonderful World of Music"
• 1971 – "You Made Me Love You"
• 1971 – "The Birds and the Bees"
• 1972 – "Rick Tick Song"
• 1972 – "Sad Movies (Make Me Cry)"
• 1972 – "My Boy Lollipop"
• 1973 – "Palung-Palo Ako"
• 1973 – "Walang Umiibig"
• 1974 – "Tok Tok Palatok"
• 1974 – "Isipin Mong Basta't Mahal Kita"
• 1974 – "Batya't Palu Palo"
• 1974 – "Mamang Kutsero"
• 1976 – "Mga Rosas sa Putikan"

• Media related to Vilma Santos at Wikimedia Commons
• Vilma Santos at IMDb