33 Facts About Francis Pangilinan

Francis Pancratius "Kiko" Nepomuceno Pangilinan is a Filipino lawyer, politician, and farm owner who served as a Senator from 2001 to 2013 and from 2016 to 2022.

Francis Pangilinan was the Senate Majority Leader from 2004 to 2008.

Francis Pangilinan ran for vice president of the Philippines in the 2022 election under the Liberal Party as the running mate of Vice President Leni Robredo.

Francis Pancratius Nepomuceno Pangilinan was born on August 24,1963, to Donato Tongol Pangilinan Jr.

Francis Pangilinan completed his primary and secondary education at La Salle Green Hills in 1977 and 1981, respectively.

Between school years, his father continuously assigned him and his siblings roles in their family businesses; for their Manila Pearl furniture factory, Francis Pangilinan was made a timekeeper as a child and a project coordinator at 19.

Francis Pangilinan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English, Major in Comparative Literature degree at the University of the Philippines Diliman, and was a varsity athlete for the UP Men's Volleyball Team.

Francis Pangilinan was a member of Upsilon Sigma Phi while in attendance at the university, where he would subsequently obtain his Bachelor of Laws degree from the UP College of Law.

Alongside his studies at the university, Francis Pangilinan set up a fishball stand along Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City, later naming it "Eat-a-bols" upon expanding the business to three locations and 40 steel carts, with him earning a partnership with Nestle to serve Nestea alongside fishballs.

In 1997, Francis Pangilinan moved to Boston, Massachusetts, to pursue a Master of Public Administration degree at Harvard Kennedy School, where he graduated with a general average of A-.

In 1988, Francis Pangilinan was elected as the youngest councilor of Quezon City from the 4th district.

Francis Pangilinan was elected to the senate in 2001 and was re-elected six years thereafter.

Francis Pangilinan was first elected as senate majority leader in 2004.

On July 23,2007, Jinggoy Estrada was voted Senate president pro tempore, while Francis Pangilinan became the majority leader following the assumption of Manuel Villar to the chamber's leadership of the 14th Congress.

Francis Pangilinan chaired the Senate Committee on Agriculture in 2010, during which he authored the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010, which aimed to further promote the development of organic agricultural practices and protect indigenous organic farmers in the country.

In May 2014, Francis Pangilinan was appointed as the presidential assistant for food security and agricultural modernization, a cabinet-level position under the Office of the President of the Philippines, by President Benigno Aquino III.

In September 2015, Francis Pangilinan announced his resignation from the post to run for senator in 2016.

Francis Pangilinan won a third term in the 2016 Philippine Senate election, placing 8th overall.

In May 2019, Francis Pangilinan announced his resignation as Liberal Party president following the failure of Otso Diretso, where he served as its campaign manager, to win a single seat in the 2019 senatorial election.

Originally a part of the majority, Francis Pangilinan became part of the minority bloc in the Senate after the 2019 election, together with Senators Franklin Drilon, Risa Hontiveros, Leila de Lima, Bam Aquino and Antonio Trillanes.

Francis Pangilinan principally authored the Sagip Saka Act signed on April 17,2019.

Francis Pangilinan was the principal author of Republic Act 11478, which would increase the bed capacity of the Bicol Medical Center from 500 beds to 1,000 beds.

In 2020, Francis Pangilinan authored the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act, which seeks to create a trust fund for coconut farmers to be used for several purposes such as management, utilization, and reconstitution for the purposes of the Philippine Coconut Authority Board.

Francis Pangilinan had co-authored laws pertaining to education, such as the GMRC and Values Education Act, institutionalizing values education in the K-12 curriculum, and the Alternative Learning System Act, which institutionalizes the alternative learning system in basic education for out-of-school children.

Francis Pangilinan co-authored the COVID Vaccination Program Act of 2021, which aims to expedite the procurement and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines across the country.

On October 8,2021, Francis Pangilinan filed his certificate of candidacy to run as vice president, alongside presidential candidate Leni Robredo, in the 2022 Philippine presidential election.

Unlike Robredo who ran as an independent candidate, Francis Pangilinan ran as the candidate of the Liberal Party.

Francis Pangilinan has stated that the conflictive situation was painful for his family.

Francis Pangilinan will run for senator in the 2025 election under the Liberal Party banner.

Francis Pangilinan is the stepfather of actress and singer KC Concepcion, Cuneta's daughter from a previous marriage, whom Pangilinan legally adopted.

On March 11,2024, Francis Pangilinan filed a 10-page complaint-affidavit filed before the Department of Justice against Bungangera TV and the authorized representatives of Google or YouTube Philippines for cyberlibel after the channel accused him of being a domestic abuser.

On May 10,2024, Cuneta and Francis Pangilinan filed cyberlibel complaints against Cristy Fermin related to the couple's "personal and family affairs".

Francis Pangilinan is a first cousin of Alfonso Miranda, the father of Parokya ni Edgar member Chito Miranda.