Whether in business or politics, Gustavo Suarez Tambunting or Cong. Gus to his constituents stands by his life-long commitment: “Laging Naglilingkod sa Parañaque.”
The only elected official who worked with all Parañaque administrations after Martial Law, he has served the people during the best and the worst of times. Nevertheless, throughout his more than three decades in service, his dedication to help them remains steadfast today.
Gus Tambunting has spent years advocating for policies that improve the lives of Parañaqueños. His leadership continues to bring meaningful change through programs focused on health, livelihood, and community development.
Born on April 24, 1964, Gus is the eldest child of Sonny and Teresita Suarez Tambunting and the eldest grandchild of Mila del Sol, the queen of Philippine cinema during the 1930s and 1940s. He is also the nephew of Spin-a-Win TV host and producer Jeanne Young, and cousin of actor Onemig Bondoc and musician Ira Cruz.
With showbiz being part of the family’s life, Gus also worked as an associate producer and sales manager of the 1980‘s TV show “Spin-A-Win.”
While he completed his elementary to college studies and earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing Management from Colegio de San Juan de Letran, it was in the university of hard knocks where he learned the lessons of life firsthand.
His father Sonny was a former waiter of Aristocrat restaurant. Later on, he led the Tambunting family business: Superior Maintenance Services, Inc., a janitorial and services provider company. This is where young Gus worked every summer for on-the-job training.
Friends his age spent their school breaks at the beach or on vacation sprees, Gus, however, found himself scrubbing floors and cleaning bathrooms of government offices and other companies. He would work as a janitor at the Bureau of Immigration and his own school, Colegio de San Juan de Letran. On weekends, he accompanied his mother on her commutes to Divisoria to purchase goods for her family and business.
These experiences instilled in him discipline and gave him a glimpse and a deeper understanding of real life.
“Doon nakita ko ‘yung hirap, paano kumita ng pera, kung paano kailangang magsipag ka at mag-aral ka, para maging maayos ang buhay mo. Nothing comes easy in this world,” Gus shared.
In the 1988 local elections, the first after the EDSA People Power Revolution, Gus ran for a seat in the then Municipal Council of Parañaque. During the Miting de Avance rally before the elections, an assassination attempt happened. Gus was shot, along with then Mayoral candidate Wally Ferrer and some others. Four bullets entered his body and he sustained several wounds. Gus survived but admitted that this near-fatal event left him traumatized. In spite of the terrible incident, he decided to dedicate what he considers his second life to the service of Parañaque. The love for the people outweighed all fear, pain, and trauma. He was convinced he still had a mission to fulfill.
Gus won the election and several elections that followed. He served four terms as Councilor – 1988 to 1992, 1992 to 1995, 2001 to 2004, and 2004 to 2007. In the 1992 and 2004 elections, Gus topped the polls for Councilor with a record number of votes.
At 23, Gus was the youngest councilor of Parañaque and one of the youngest in the entire country. The first years of Gus’ political career were focused on developing the power and potential of the youth, which he pursued through collaboration with the Sangguniang Kabataan. He spearheaded basketball activities and academic contests which provided cash incentives to deserving students.
As the youngest councilor at that time, Gus was also faced with a challenge: to prove that he can serve despite his age and that he was at par with seasoned politicians in as far as intelligence and hard work were concerned. More than empowering the youth, Gus participated actively in the discussions and debates of the Sanggunian Panlungsod. Later on, he was recognized as the Most Outstanding Councilor for three consecutive years before taking a break from politics in 1995.
Gus took a break from politics for two reasons: family and business.
First, he needed to fulfill his duty to lead the business established by his grandmother, Superior Maintenance Services, Inc. (SMS), which was expanding into Visayas and Mindanao.
During his life as a private citizen, Gus excelled as a businessman and continued serving his community. In 1999, the Parañaque Chamber of Commerce and Industry awarded him the Salambao Award for being the city’s Most Outstanding Businessman. At the age of 35, Gus was elected as the youngest president of the Rotary Club of Palanyag-Parañaque. During his term, he implemented the Rolling Snack Bar project for the handicapped, among other projects focused on helping the less fortunate of the community.
For Gus, whether he was in or out of politics, public service never stopped. He harnessed his business connections to open more channels of help to the less fortunate. He also spearheaded medical missions, the distribution of rice and groceries to the needy during the Christmas season, and the distribution of bicycles with sidecars in key mission areas around the city. He also established the Pag-asa ng Kabataan Foundation which has supported thousands of students in finishing their studies.
Although he received several accolades in the business circle, it was only his firstborn Isaac Emmanuel was born in 1994 that he earned his biggest title – being a father. After losing two children from miscarriage, Gus promised God that he would personally spend time and take care of his children. Above all, Gus considered family as his greatest honor. Eventually, the Lord blessed him with two more children, Marielle Chelsea and Mateo Jacob. Together with his wife, Congresswoman Joy Myra Tambunting, he finds the joy of family unquantifiable.
“Pulitika should take a backseat because I have to also fulfill my commitments to my family and to our business. Ayaw ko naman ho ipagsabay, kasi alam ko hong maapektuhan. Kasi alam niyo ho ako, ‘pag pumapasok ako sa pulitika, I put 100 percent in, hindi po pwede yung medya-medya na. I felt na maco-compromise ko ‘yung oras ko sa politika. So, I spent more time with the family and ayaw kong isabay muna,” Gus said.
Although Gus made a name for himself in the business industry, the passion for public service continued burning in his heart. He missed serving the people in a political capacity. Thus, he returned to government service as a Councilor in 2001 and was re-elected in 2004.
In the 2007 local elections, Gus ran for Vice Mayor against the then-incumbent. With the help of God and the trust of the people of Parañaque, Gus Tambunting won by a landslide, beating his opponent in 15 out of 16 barangays and winning by a margin of close to 20,000 votes.
As Vice Mayor, Gus focused on programs that would support the family, for he believes strong families constitute a strong society. In the 2010 elections, Gus was re-elected as Vice Mayor for a second term. In the same year, his fellow Vice Mayors elected him as Vice President of the Vice Mayors’ League of the Philippines.
In his six years as Vice Mayor, he maintained a 100% attendance record as Presiding Officer of the City Council. He was the first Vice Mayor of Parañaque City to achieve such a record. Though not a lawyer, he has been praised for the sharpness and brilliance with which he presides over the City Council, ensuring rules are followed and that measures passed are for the best interest of the people.
In 2013, Gus was elected as Congressman of the 2nd District of Parañaque City. During the 16th Congress, Gus was Vice-Chairperson of the Committee of Trade and Industry and a Member of the Committees of Appropriations, Banks and Financial Intermediaries, Civil Service and Professional Regulation, Ethics and Privileges, Human Rights, Labor and Employment, Legislative Franchises, Metro Manila Development, National Defense and Security, Natural Resources, and Ways and Means.
Gus was recognized as one of the most active members of the House of Representatives during the 16th Congress, maintaining his 100% attendance record. As a member of the Committee of Appropriations during the 16th Congress, he actively took part in the deliberations of the annual General Appropriations Act. He also has shown his support for the Bank Liberalization Law, the Salary Standardization Bill, the Magna Carta for the Poor, the Income Tax Reform Bill, among many others.
Gus has used his place in Congress to voice out his opinion and those of his constituents on various issues, such as the chronic traffic situation, the then proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, and the Anti-Hospital Deposit Bill, among others.
He brought the voice of his district to the national level. Several measures which Gus supported have been passed into law. Gus is a principal author of Republic Act 10747 otherwise known as “An Act Promulgating A Comprehensive Policy in Addressing the Needs of Persons with Rare Disease.” This law establishes a comprehensive and sustainable healthcare system integrated within the public healthcare delivery system for early and sustainable care for patients suffering from rare diseases.
He is also a principal author of Republic Act 10653, “An Act Adjusting The 13th Month Pay And Other Benefits Ceiling Excluded From The Computation Of Gross Income For Purposes Of Income Taxation,” which increased to P82,000 from P30,000 the amount of the 13th-month pay and other benefits that will be exempted from income tax.
A stalwart advocate of youth empowerment, he is also co-author of Republic Act 10742, otherwise known as the Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Act of 2015, which establishes reforms in the SK by creating mechanisms for meaningful youth participation in nation-building, and for other purposes.
In 2016, Gus was re-elected Congressman of the 2nd District of Parañaque City. In the 17th Congress, with the trust and confidence of his colleagues, he served as the Chairperson of the House Committee on Games and Amusements. It was during his tenure as Chairperson of the House Committee on Games and Amusements that the Philippine gaming industry experienced substantial growth and contributed to the development of the Philippine economy.
Leading hearings and inquiries to ensure the booming gaming industry remained accountable to the Filipino people, Gus also worked to ensure the government was getting the proper revenues from the gaming industry in order to finance its services for the Filipino people. His skill in presiding over committee meetings impressed his fellow members of Congress, including the then Speaker and Majority Leader.
During the 17th Congress, Gus also served as a Vice-Chairperson of the House Committee on Banks and Financial Intermediaries and the House Committee on Ways and Means, and a Member of the House Committees on Accounts, Constitutional Amendments, Dangerous Drugs, Labor and Employment, Metro Manila Development, National Defense and Security, Public Information, Public Order and Safety, and Trade and Industry.
Known as one who collaborates effectively with his colleagues in working for meaningful legislation, Gus authored and co-authored 1,167 proposed measures during the 17th Congress. He continued to fight for his advocacies, such as the Freedom of Information bill, rights for homeless and underprivileged citizens, and benefits for senior citizens and SSS pensioners, among others.
Throughout the years, Gus has proven his commitment as a genuine representative of the people of Parañaque in Congress. In 2019, his wife, “BFF ng Parañaque,” Joy Myra Tambunting succeeded him as 2nd District Representative of Parañaque.
As someone who prioritizes family deeply, Gus took a leave from politics again, but this time to focus on caring for his grandmother, actress Mila del Sol, who then passed away at the age of 97 last November 2020.
“I took care of her in the last three decades of her life and looked after her well-being. It was such an honor. When I’m elected into public office, I’m honored, deeply honored by the trust given to me by my constituents. But to me, again, as an individual, as a human being, when you take care of the people that took care and loved you and you return that love and care is still the biggest honor. And I’ve always said this in public,” Gus said.
Pamilya, Edukasyon at Trabaho-— these pillars will always be Gus’s thrusts in his lifelong mission of public service. As mirrored in his life, he shares the same values to his extended family— his constituents, the people of Parañaque. He may not hold public office at the moment, yet he actively works with his wife, Congresswoman Joy Tambunting in carrying out projects for the people —– Laging Naglilingkod sa Parañaque as he has proven through the years.