Ignacio Bunye

The Honourable
Igancio Bunye
Member of the Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
Incumbent
Assumed office
July 3, 2008
Acting Philippine Executive Secretary
In office
October 21 – October 30, 2007
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Philippine Press Secretary
In office
July 16, 2002 – January 19, 2003
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from Muntinlupa City's Lone District
In office
June 30, 1998 – June 30, 2001
Preceded by Manny Villar from Las Piñas-Muntinlupa
Succeeded by Rozzano Rufino Biazon
Chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority
In office
1991–1992
Preceded by Jejomar Binay
Succeeded by Ismael Mathay, Jr.
Mayor of Muntinlupa City
In office
June 13, 1986 – June 30, 1998
Preceded by Santiago V. Carlos, Jr.
Succeeded by Jaime R. Fresnedi
Personal details
Born April 19, 1945 (1945-04-19) (age 66)
Nationality Filipino
Political party Lakas Kampi CMD
Other political
affiliations
Lakas CMD (before 2009)
Spouse(s) Dr. Miraflor T. Oca
Children Patricia Angelea Bunye-Rojas
Alfredo Bunye
Frances Myra Bunye
Residence Muntinlupa City
Alma mater Ateneo de Manila University
Occupation Journalist, reporter, politician
Profession Lawyer

Ignacio Rivera Bunye (born April 19, 1945[1]) is a Filipino politician who is currently serving as the Monetary Board Member of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas since July 3, 2008.[2] Prior to his appointment as monetary board member, he previously served as the Press Secretary, acting Executive Secretary under Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Congressman, and Mayor of Muntinlupa City.

Contents

Early life

Ignacio R. Bunye was born April 19, 1945 to Dr. Alfredo M. Bunye, Sr. and Sofia V. Rivera, a pre-war movie actress with the screen name Gloria Imperial whose younger sister Mila del Sol was also a movie darling of her time..

He took his early education at Itaas Elementary School and his secondary at Muntinlupa National High School where he graduated valedictorian. He took up Bachelor of Arts at Ateneo de Manila University and graduated in 1964 and Bachelor of Law in 1969. He also holds a Masters in Management degree from the Asian Institute of Management.

He worked at the Filipinas Foundation Inc. as Assistant Corporate Secretary from 1970 to 1975, Assistant Vice President of BPI Investment Corporation from 1976 to 1983 and Assistant Vice President for Corporate Banking and Treasury at the Bank of the Philippine Islands from 1983 to 1985.

Atty. Ignacio R. Bunye was a working student. He was a news reporter for the Philippine Daily Star from 1967 to 1969, for the DZMT News from 1965 to 1967 and a war correspondent in South Vietnam. As a DZMT reporter, he covered the Vietnam War and wrote a documentary entitled “The Other War,” a first-person account of the activities of the Philippine Civic Action Group in Tay Ninh, South Vietnam. At the Daily Star, he wrote a number of articles, including a four-part series entitled “War Vignettes,” a first-person account of events immediately after the Tet Offensive in South Vietnam in 1968.

He has been inducted as a member of the Manila Overseas Press Club. He is also a life-time member of the National Press Club.

A lawyer by profession, Bunye has served in various executive positions at the Ayala Group of Companies, including as Assistant Vice President of the Ayala Investment and Development Corporation and the Bank of the Philippine Islands.

Mayor of Muntinlupa City

When former Corazon Aquino assumed presidency after the People Power Revolution in 1986, Bunye was designated Officer-in-Charge of the Municipality of Muntinlupa.

He was elected as Mayor of Muntinlupa from 1988 to 1995. As Muntinlupa Mayor, Bunye also served in a concurrent capacity as Chairman of the then Metropolitan Manila Authority (MMDA) from 1991 to 1992. The Metropolitan Manila Authority is the forerunner of the Metro Manila Development Authority.

In 1995, Bunye was again reelected as Mayor of Muntinlupa for his last three-year term. During his 12-year stewardship, Muntinlupa metamorphosed from a fifth-class municipality into a highly urbanized city. Adopting proven corporate practices that he gained from working in the private sector, Bunye initiated the computeratization of Muntinlupa, streamlined operations and cut red tape, thus making Muntinlupa City the business-friendly community that it is today. During his watch, Muntinlupa was consistently ranked by the Department of Finance as number one in Metro Manila in terms of realty tax collection efficiency.

He founded the Muntinlupa Polytechnic College, the city’ public college, which has since been converted into the Pamantasang Lungsod ng Muntinlupa. He upgraded the public health centers and also established the city cemetery for Muntinlupa’s poor.

Toward the end of his term as Mayor, Bunye laid the foundation for the establishment of the Ospital ng Muntinlupa through the acquisition of a five-hectare lot within Filinvest Corporate City, which is also the site of the future Civic Center Complex.

House of Representatives

Barred by law from seeking a fourth consecutive term as Mayor, Bunye ran for Congress in 1998 and became the first Congressman from the newly-created lone district of Muntinlupa City.

In Congress, Bunye continued to champion the cause of local governments, especially in providing them with greater fiscal autonomy.

Originally a member of the minority, Bunye was one of the fiscalizers of the 11th Congress. With the change of leadership toward the end of the 11th Congress, he became the Senior Deputy Majority Floor Leader of House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr..

Cabinet Member

Bunye had served as Press Secretary from July 16, 2002 to January 19, 2003, before he formally assumed the post of Presidential Spokesperson on January 20, 2003.

On August 24, 2004, he was again appointed as Press Secretary this time concurrently as Spokesperson. He was designated as Acting Executive Secretary from October 21 – 30, 2007, during which time he signed the papers pardoning former President Joseph Estrada. He also briefly held the position of Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs before assuming his position at the Monetary Board.

Bunye writes weekly columns for the Manila Bulletin, Tempo, People’s Tonight, Sun Star and Filipino Reporter.

Personal life

Bunye is married to Miraflor T. Oca, a pediatrician. They have three children: Patricia Angela (m. Jose Ferdinand Rojas), Alfredo and Frances Myra.

External links

References

Preceded by
Santiago V. Carlos, Jr.
Mayor of Muntinlupa
1986 – 1998
Succeeded by
Jaime R. Fresnedi
Preceded by
Newly established
Representative, Lone District of Muntinlupa City
1998 – 2001
Succeeded by
Rozzano Rufino B. Biazon
Preceded by
Silvestre Afable, Jr.
Philippine Press Secretary
2002 – 2003
Succeeded by
Hernani A. Braganza
Preceded by
Milton Alingod
Philippine Press Secretary
2004 – 2008
Succeeded by
Jesus G. Dureza
Preceded by
Rigoberto D. Tiglao
Presidential Spokesperson
2003 – 2008
Succeeded by
Eduardo R. Ermita
Preceded by
Vicente B. Valdepeñas, Jr.
Monetary Board Member
2008 – present
Succeeded by
not applicable