Narciso Bravo, Jr.
Quick Facts
Biography
Narciso "Bong" Recio Bravo Jr. is a Filipino politician, who represents the 1st congressional district of the province of Masbate. The district is composed of the municipalities of Batuan, Claveria, Monreal, San Fernando, San Jacinto and San Pascual. He was elected in 2013 as the new mayor of San Fernando, Masbate.
Personal life
Bong Bravo was born on January 15, 1964 in Cataingan, Masbate. His parents are Narciso G. Bravo, a former RTC judge, and Amparo Recio-Bravo, a teacher. He took up civil engineering at Aquinas University of Legazpi City and graduated in 1986 and passed the PRC licensure examination on the same year. He is married to Maria Vida Espinosa-Bravo who is the daughter of two former representatives (Tito R. Espinosa and Vida Versoza-Espinosa). They have 4 children.
Political career
When his father-in-law (Rep. Tito R. Espinosa) was assassinated on February 28, 1995, he ran for the sangguniang panlalawigan (provincial board member) and won. He was reelected in 1998 and 2001. Subsequently, his mother-in-law Vida Versoza-Espinosa was elected to the lower house to replace her husband and was easily reelected in 1998 against Sandra Cam and again in 2001 against Jennifer Ejercito. During the 2004 elections he was elected to replace Rep. Vida Versoza-Espinosa because the latter cannot run for the same post due to term limits. He was reelected in 2007 against former Vice-Governor Rainier Butalid and in 2010 against San Fernando Vice-Mayor Karla Bunan. His wife Marvi Espinosa-Bravo lost the mayoralty race of the municipality of San Fernando narrowly against incumbent mayor Helen Bunan in 2007 but was elected in 2010 against the incumbent mayor's husband. Due to term limits he did not seek reelection to the lower house during the 2013 election and decided to contest the mayoralty race in San Fernando, Masbate instead. He won against former Mayor Helen Letada-Bunan while his wife Marvi (the incumbent mayor of San Fernando) was elected in a landslide to replace him as the new member of the house of representatives.
Congress
While serving in the lower chamber Bravo served as the vice-chair of the powerful committee on appropriations. He is a member of the National Unity Party (NUP).