Amid cheers and heartfelt support from Batangueños, Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto formally took her oath and delivered her inaugural address on the morning of July 7, 2025, at the Regina R. Mandanas Dream Zone in Batangas City.
Surrounded by her family, local officials, media, and constituents, the ‘Star for All Seasons’ expressed gratitude for the trust renewed in her by the people and vowed to deliver continuous progress and meaningful change across the province.
“This is not about me, about us, kundi para sa kapakanan ng mga Batangueño,” declared Vi in her speech. “We’re back to work!”
During the ceremony, Gov. Vi signed her top four executive orders focusing on disaster preparedness, educational scholarships for underprivileged but deserving students, youth development, and support for vulnerable sectors. She emphasized a unified approach in governance, calling on all sectors—supporters and critics alike—to collaborate for the good of Batangas.
Present at the occasion were her husband, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto; sons Luis Manzano and Ryan Christian, daughter-in-law Jessy Mendiola, and granddaughter Isabela Rose “Peanut” Manzano, along with Batangas vice governor, mayors, vice mayors, board members, and other provincial officials.
Although Luis did not secure the vice-governor post in the recent elections, he committed to assisting his mother full-time in her work at the Capitol—sacrificing a regular TV hosting offer in favor of public service. Luis will dedicate five days a week to helping his mother and reserve one day for taping his comeback game show ‘Rainbow Rumble’ on ABS-CBN, with Sundays spent with his family.
This marks Gov. Vi’s historic return to a role she last held from 2007 to 2016. She previously served three consecutive terms as mayor of Lipa City and two terms as Batangas 6th District representative. Vi, the province’s first female mayor and governor, said she initially stepped back from politics to resume her acting career, but was eventually convinced by Batangueños to run again.
In her speech, she sincerely thanked her family, supporters, media, Vilmates (her loyal fan base), and everyone who has been part of her journey in both showbiz and politics.
Though she is fully focused on her duties as governor, Vi admitted that she hopes to do one film project during her current term. While she has no entry in the upcoming Metro Manila Film Festival, she revealed that an internationally produced movie with a globally renowned actress is already in early discussions—an opportunity that excites her.
Vi also acknowledged that there were talks about a potential collaboration with Brillante Mendoza and Coco Martin, which unfortunately did not push through. “I would love working with Coco,” she said. “Pero sa ngayon, priority natin ang paglilingkod sa mga Batangueño. Kaya hihirit lamang ako sa kanila ng isang project sa loob ng tatlong taon.”
With renewed trust from her constituents, Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto is poised to continue her legacy of dedicated public service and cultural influence, striking the balance between two worlds where she has long proven her excellence—governance and the arts. (with reports from Carlos Aragon)
