Vice President Binay at 70

Jejomar "Jojo" C. Binay,  Vice President of the Philippines since 2010, celebrates his seventieth birthday today. Prior to getting elected to his current post, Binay was mayor of Makati City for more than twenty years. He served as mayor from 1986 to 1998 and from 2001 to 2010.

Binay was also Chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority for two terms: from 1990 to 1992, and from 1998 to 2001.

SOURCE: Web site of the Office of the Vice President

A lawyer by training, Binay was also known for giving free legal assistance to poor clients and victims of human rights abuses before he ventured into politics.

During the 2010 elections, a series of advertisements was aired on television to bolster Binay's vice presidential campaign. One of these advertisements highlights his knowledge of poverty. It recalls the young Binay's work of collecting slop for a backyard piggery, cleaning the front yard early in morning, and taking care of his uncle's fighting cocks. The young Binay would also go to the public market for his daily errands.