Francis Tolentino

Tolentino was first appointed to the post of OIC Mayor of Tagaytay from 1986 to 1987. He ran unopposed in the 1995 general election for Mayor of Tagaytay and was re-elected by his constituents for 3 consecutive terms as Mayor from 1995 to 2004.[13] As Mayor, he advocated a City Character Program, espousing values formation among his constituents.

Under his administration, he created the Tagaytay Office of Public Safety, which later became the basis of policies he put into force as chair of the MMDA. He also initialized the Character First programs which encourages governments, government leaders, civic organizations and religious organizations to band together to establish a "city" or "community" of character with character traits of a Filipino every month.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino

On July 27, 2010, Tolentino was appointed the ninth chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). He is the first and only non-resident of Metro Manila to be appointed to the post.

In August 2013, Tolentino, as MMDA chairman, launched the first Metro Manila Integrated Bus Terminal known as the Southwest Integrated Provincial Transport Terminal (SWIPTT).[14]

On September 19, 2013, Tolentino signed the Metro Manila Outdoor Media Magna Carta along with various advertising groups, setting the terms for regulating outdoor advertisements in Metro Manila. Among the terms in the 15-page agreement were a 216-square meter limitation on all outdoor signs and structures, with 30 percent of the space of ground level ads allotted "for landscape works or vertical gardens". Prior to the signing of the document, no limit had been placed on the size of advertisements, such that a number of billboards as big as 1,000 square meters had been allowed. The document provided a nine-month grace period for advertisers to be able to comply.[15]

To address the traffic situation in Metro Manila and to offer transportation alternative to the public, Tolentino relaunched the Pasig River Ferry System last April 2014, in coordination with the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission and the Department of Transportation and Communications.[16][17]

As an environmentalist, one of his advocacies is environmental protection. His plans include creating alternative energy resources that would be beneficial for both the people and the environment. Another advocacy that he is focusing on is the disaster calamity fund. He understands that Mother Nature is unpredictable and it is better to brace for the worst.[18]

As chair of the MMDA, Tolentino was also designated by Metro Manila Commission Executive Order No. 86-09 as chair of the annual Metro Manila Film Festival,[19] in which capacity Tolentino introduced a number of changes, including the introduction of new contest categories[20] and the removal of box office receipts from the criteria for the selection of best picture starting from the 2010 edition.[21]

In June 2017, Tolentino was appointed by former President Rodrigo Duterte as his political adviser from 2017 to 2018.[22] He became the former President's main troubleshooter during crises, disasters, and emergencies.

Senator Francis Tolentino

Tolentino ran for senator in the 2016 Philippine Senate election, however, he was defeated after placing 13th.[23]

Tolentino ran again for senator in the 2019 Philippine Senate election. Endorsed by President Rodrigo Duterte, he is under the Hugpong ng Pagbabago and the informal Kilusang Pagbabago coalitions.[24]

Tolentino successfully secured the 9th place in the 2019 elections and is serving as a Senator of the Philippines until 2025.[25]

18th Congress

During the 18th Congress, Tolentino chaired the Senate Committee on Local Government and the Senate Committee on Urban Planning, Housing, and Resettlement.

During his stint as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government, Tolentino was a welcomed partner by the Bangsamoros in the transition of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.[26]

19th Congress

Tolentino currently serves as the Chairman of the prestigious Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights. He currently sits as the Senate Representative to the Judicial and Bar Council and is also one of the Senate Representatives in the Commission on Appointments.

He is currently the Vice-Chairman in the following Senate Committees: Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform, Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, Foreign Relations, National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation, Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, and Public Services.

Tolentino also sits as a member in the following Senate Committees: Basic Education, Cooperatives, Cultural Communities and Muslim Affairs, Electoral Reforms and People's Participation, Energy, Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change, Finance, Games and Amusement, Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, Local Government, Migrant Workers, Public Works, Sports, Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement, and Ways and Means.