V. Bruce "Bruce" Jularbal Tolentino, is a Filipino economist, author, professor, and economic policymaker.
Early childhood and education
Born on June 2, 1953, in
Baguio
Baguio ( ,
), officially the City of Baguio ( ilo, Siudad ti Baguio; fil, Lungsod ng Baguio), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. It is known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines", ...
, to father, Toots, a salesman, and mother Florence, who managed the family's photo studio. Bruce graduated from Saint Louis High School and proceeded to the institution's university. There he was editor-in-chief of the SLU ''White and Blue''.
Education
*University
**
Xavier University
Xavier University ( ) is a private Jesuit university in Cincinnati and Evanston (Cincinnati), Ohio. It is the sixth-oldest Catholic and fourth-oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Xavier has an undergraduate enrollment of 4,860 stud ...
, B.A. Economics (1978)
**
Mindanao State University
Mindanao State University, commonly referred to as MSU Main, is a regional state, coeducational, research higher education institution in the city of Marawi, Philippines. Founded in 1961, it is the flagship and the largest campus of the Mindana ...
, A.B. English Program (1975-1977)
**
Saint Louis University, A.B. Mass Communications Program (1969-1972)
*Graduate
**
Xavier University
Xavier University ( ) is a private Jesuit university in Cincinnati and Evanston (Cincinnati), Ohio. It is the sixth-oldest Catholic and fourth-oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Xavier has an undergraduate enrollment of 4,860 stud ...
, M.S. Economics (1979)
**
University of the Philippines
The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 20 ...
, Ph.D. Economics Program (1981-1982)
**
University of Hawaiʻi
The University of Hawaiʻi System, formally the University of Hawaiʻi and popularly known as UH, is a public college and university system that confers associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees through three universities, seven com ...
, Ph.D. Economics (1986)
Career
Bruce left his boyhood home after the declaration of Martial Law in 1972. Pursued by the martial law military, he escaped to
Marawi
Marawi, officially the Islamic City of Marawi (Maranao language, Maranao: ''Inged a Marawi''; fil, Islamikong Lungsod ng Marawi), is a 4th class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of th ...
in
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
where he found his interests shifting from communications to economics as he became more and more involved in rural development.
After graduate school at Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao, and University of Hawaii in
Honolulu
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
, Bruce returned to the Philippines and began work in the government with a focus on policy-reform processes. He was part of the group that put together the Philippines' membership in the
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade. With effective cooperation
in the United Nations System, governments use the organization to establish, revise, and ...
. He was also on the team that developed the initial draft of th
Agri-Agra Reform Lawas well as that of th
.
In the 1980s, Bruce was appointed first executive director of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) jointly appointed by former Central Bank Governor Jobo Fernandez and former Agriculture Secretary
Ramon Mitra Jr. His function was as lead technical adviser for a rehabilitation program for all of the rural banks that had been organized, and subsequently failed, during the
Masagana 99 era of subsidized loans for rice and corn production.
He served as Assistant Secretary, then Undersecretary of Agriculture (for Policy, Planning, and International Trade) of the
Department of Agriculture of the Philippines from 1986 to 1993.
From 2007 to 2012, he served in various positions within
The Asia Foundation
The Asia Foundation is a nonprofit international development organization committed to "improving lives across a dynamic and developing Asia". The Asia Foundation (TAF) was established in 1954 to undertake cultural and educational activities on be ...
, including Chief Economist and Country Representative for Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
From 2012 to 2018 he served a
Deputy Director-Generalof the
International Rice Research Institute
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is an international agricultural research and training organization with its headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna, in the Philippines, and offices in seventeen countries. IRRI is known for its wor ...
, based in
Los Baños, Laguna, and also elected Secretary IRRI Board of Trustees.
As of 2018, Bruce is the newest member of th
Monetary Board the central bank's highest policy-making body.
In 2021, th
Agricultural Credit Policy Councillaunched
Enabling Rural and Agricultural Finance for Inclusive Development in the Philippines.' Split into three volumes, the book is a collection of Bruce Tolentino's papers, memos, and reports that span four decades of work. It contains "... a record of the challenges, responses, successes as well as failures in rural finance and intermediation" over the course of his career.
Food security
With more than 35 years of progressive experience in governance, management, analysis, and planning socio-economic development reforms and initiatives, Bruce has been the go-to guy for many agri and
food security related projects.
According to Bruce, food security is a regional, even international effort. "Agriculture—which produces food—cannot be confined to the artificial borders of countries. Food is a product of human ingenuity applied to natural resources—land, water, sunlight, rainfall—that also spill across borders. Some countries, especially the large countries like the US, China, India, have more than enough food. Many other, smaller countries—such as Singapore, Malaysia, Korea—are largely dependent on food produced by others. With worsening climate change and resource degradation, as populations continue to grow, open international trade and global cooperation is becoming even more imperative to ensure that all populations of all nations share in the bounty of the earth as a whole."
Personal life
Bruce is married to Rory Francisco-Tolentino, former director of
Philippine Business for Social Progress and
Ayala Foundation
Ayala Corporation (Spanish: ''Corporación Ayala'', formerly ''Ayala y Compañía'' (Ayala & Company)) is the publicly listed holding company for the diversified interests of the Ayala Group. Founded in the Philippines by Domingo Róxas and A ...
and current consultant for various nonprofit management projects. He has two children.
References
External links
*
Bruce Tolentinopersonal site
Economics alumnus helps guide monetary policies for the Philippines*Enabling Rural and Agricultural Finance for Inclusive Development in the Philippine
eBook
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tolentino, Bruce
1953 births
Living people
20th-century Filipino economists
21st-century Filipino economists
People from Baguio
Saint Louis University (Philippines) alumni
University of the Philippines alumni
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa alumni
Mindanao State University alumni