Bruce Tolentino

V. Bruce "Bruce" Jularbal Tolentino, is a Filipino economist,[1] author, professor, and economic policy-maker.

V Bruce J Tolentino in Dinagat Islands, 2018

Early childhood and Education

Born on June 2, 1953, in Baguio City, 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

Career

Bruce left his boyhood home after the declaration of Martial Law in 1972. Pursued by the martial law military, he escaped to Marawi in Mindanao 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, 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. He was also on the team that developed the initial draft of the Agri-Agra Reform Law as well as that of the Local Government Code of 1992.

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, including Chief Economist and Country Representative for Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.[2]

From 2012 to 2018 he served as Deputy Director-General of the International Rice Research Institute, based in Los Baños, Laguna and also elected Secretary IRRI Board of Trustees.[3] As of 2018, Bruce is the newest member of the Monetary Board, the central bank's highest policy-making body.[4]

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.[5]

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." [6]

Personal life

Bruce is married to Rory Francisco-Tolentino, former Director of Philippine Business for Social Progress and Ayala Foundation and current consultant for various nonprofit management projects. He has two children, Josh Tolentino and Ma. Amanda Tolentino-Santos.

References
  1. Bruce Tolentino: Bloomberg profile
  2. "The Asia Foundation". Archived from the original on 2016-06-09. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  3. IRRI Profile
  4. "BSP names new member of policy-making board | Philstar.com". philstar.com. Retrieved 2018-10-16.
  5. "Economist and food security expert is new Monetary Board member". Manila Bulletin Business. Retrieved 2018-10-16.
  6. "Planting The Seeds Of Food Security In Asia". Asian Scientist Magazine | Science, technology and medical news updates from Asia. 2017-11-29. Retrieved 2018-10-16.
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