{{short description|Filipino politician (born 1972)}} {{Philippine name|Laurel|Hernandez}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Ramil Hernandez | image = Rep. Ramil Hernandez (20th Congress).jpg | image_size = | caption = Official portrait, 2025 | office = Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from Laguna's 2nd district | predecessor = Ruth Hernandez | order1 = 18th | office1 = Governor of Laguna | term_start = June 30, 2025 | term_start1 = May 27, 2014 | term_end1 = June 30, 2025 | 1blankname1 = Vice Governor | 1namedata1 = Katherine Agapay | predecessor1 = E.R. Ejercito | successor1 = Sol Aragones | office2 = 11th and 13th Vice Governor of Laguna | term_start2 = June 30, 2013 | term_end2 = May 27, 2014 | governor2 = E.R. Ejercito | predecessor2 = Caesar Perez | successor2 = Karen Agapay | term_start3 = June 30, 2007 | term_end3 = June 30, 2010 | governor3 = Teresita Lazaro | predecessor3 = Edwin Olivarez | successor3 = Caesar Perez | office4 = Member of the Laguna Provincial Board from the 2nd district | term_start4 = June 30, 2004 | term_end4 = June 30, 2007 | office5 = Member of the Calamba City Council<br>{{nobold|(Calamba Municipal Council (1995–2001)}} | term_start6 = June 30, 1995 | term_end6 = June 30, 2004 | office7 = Sangguniang Kabataan Chairman of Mabato, Calamba | term_start7 = January 1993 | term_end7 = June 30, 1995 | birth_name = Ramil Laurel Hernandez | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1972|07|26}} | birth_place = Calamba, Laguna, Philippines | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = {{marriage|Ruth Mariano|2001}} | children = 2 | alma_mater = Colegio de San Juan de Letran - Calamba {{small|(B.S.)}} | party = Lakas (1998–2007; 2024–present) | other_party = PDP–Laban (2018–2024)<br>Nacionalista (2009–2018)<br>UNO (2007–2009)<br>LDP (1995–1998) | occupation = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }} '''Ramil Laurel Hernandez''' (born July 26, 1972) is a Filipino politician who has served as the representative for Laguna's second district since 2025. A member of Lakas–CMD, he previously served as the 18th governor of Laguna from 2014 to 2025 and as vice governor from 2007 to 2010 and again from 2013 to 2014.
A graduate of Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Hernandez entered politics in 1992 after being elected as the chairman of the Sanguniang Kabataan in Mabato, Calamba. He was subsequently elected to the Calamba Municipal Council (later the Calamba City Council) and later the Laguna Provincial Board. Upon being term-limited in the latter in 2007, he launched a successful bid for vice governor. After one term, he pursued the governorship in the 2010 elections and was defeated, placing fourth.
Hernandez was elected back to the vice governorship in the 2013 elections, serving under Governor E.R. Ejercito. After the Commission on Elections disqualified Ejercito from the position in May 2014, he assumed the governorship. He was elected to a full term as governor in 2016 and was re-elected in 2019 and 2022. In 2025, he was elected to the House of Representatives, succeeding his wife Ruth. In 2026, Hernandez voted against the second impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.
==Early life and education== Hernandez was born on July 26, 1972, in Barangay Mabato, Calamba, Laguna and is the third among the thirteen children of Norberto Perea Hernandez, who served as the barangay captain of Mabato, and Rosalinda Laurel Hernandez. He finished his primary studies as a valedictorian of Mabato Elementary School in 1985.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=June 4, 2014 |title=Profile of Governor Ramil Hernandez |url=https://laguna.gov.ph/content/profile-governor-ramil-l-hernandez |access-date=July 24, 2019 |website=Laguna.gov.ph |archive-date=July 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200720044637/https://laguna.gov.ph/content/profile-governor-ramil-l-hernandez |url-status=dead }}</ref>
He was elected as a president of Student Body Organization and became Corps Commander of Citizen Advancement Training I during his high school days in Laguna College of Business and Arts. Moreover, an award was given to him in Leadership, Duty, Service and Talent and joined the Honor Society.<ref name=":0" />
While he was studying in Colegio de San Juan de Letran - Calamba, he worked as a service crew at a fast food chain while taking up Bachelor of Science in Commerce, Major in Accounting. In 1993, he graduated in college and received an award as the Best Student Researcher.<ref name=":0" />
==Political career== Hernandez entered the field of public service in 1992 as Sanguniang Kabataan chairman of Barangay Mabato, Calamba, Laguna and won. Following this, he was elected as a municipal councilor at the young age of 22.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=Gov. Ramil Hernandez|url=https://www.facebook.com/GovRamil/|access-date=July 24, 2020|website=www.facebook.com|language=en}}</ref> He served for three consecutive terms from 1995 to 2004 and was also installed as the President of the National Movement of Young Legislators (NMYL) Laguna Chapter. In 2004, he ran for the Provincial Board Member race and was proclaimed as number one board member of the province with 121,672 total votes and presided as Majority Floor Leader of Sangguniang Panlalawigan.<ref name=":0" />
===Vice Governor of Laguna (2007–2010; 2013–2014)=== In 2007, Hernandez ran for Vice Governor as the running mate of gubernatorial candidate Edwin Olivarez, the then-Vice Governor, under United Opposition. At the age of 34, Hernandez was elected as Vice Governor; the youngest ever in the history of the province to take over the position who got 160,368 votes. Olivarez, however, lost to incumbent Governor Teresita Lazaro.<ref name=":0" />
Even though he was still eligible to run for his second term, Hernandez pursued the governorship in 2010 while still being the youngest candidate in the province of Laguna.<ref name=":0" /> Running under the Nacionalista Party, he placed fourth behind E.R. Ejercito, the then-Mayor of Pagsanjan.<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 30, 2019|title=Ramil Hernandez Biography - PeoPlaid Profile, Laguna Governor|url=https://peoplaid.com/2019/07/30/ramil-hernandez/|access-date=July 25, 2020|website=PeoPlaid|language=en-US}}</ref> Beating his two opponents, he was again elected as Vice Governor in 2013 for the second time with 388,859, whereas Ejercito was re-elected as Governor.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Results|first=Laguna Province Local Election|date=May 14, 2013|title=Laguna Province Local Election Results (Region IV-A)|url=https://philnews.ph/2013/05/14/laguna-province-local-election-results-region-iv-a/|access-date=July 25, 2020|website=Philippine News|language=en-US}}</ref>
===Governor of Laguna (2014–2025)=== On May 21, 2014, Ejercito was disqualified by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) First Division due to campaign overspending during the 2013 elections. The petitioner in the disqualification case is Edgar San Luis, who is the former Congressman of 4th district of Laguna and opponent of Ejercito for the 2013 gubernatorial race. Vice Governor Hernandez assumed the post as a Governor and was sworn in as the new governor of Laguna at the main office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Manila on May 27, 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Cinco|first=Maricar|date=May 28, 2014|title=Comelec swears in new Laguna governor|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/606089/comelec-swears-in-new-laguna-governor|access-date=July 24, 2020|website=INQUIRER.net|language=en}}</ref> The writ of execution disqualifying Ejercito as the Governor was served by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) on May 28, 2014, at the provincial capitol in Santa Cruz, Laguna.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Corrales|first=Nestor|date=May 29, 2014|title=Ramil Hernandez ready to assume post as Laguna governor|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/606364/ramil-hernandez-ready-to-assume-post-as-laguna-governor|access-date=July 24, 2020|website=INQUIRER.net|language=en}}</ref>
Under Nacionalista Party, Hernandez ran for his first full three-year term as governor against his predecessor E.R. Ejercito and Jorge Antonio Ejercito in the 2016 elections. He was elected as the governor who garnered 606,002 votes beating his opponent, Ejercito with 232,927 votes. His running mate, Katherine Agapay (481,700 votes) assumed the vice governorship.<ref>{{Cite web|title=laguna {{!}} Provincial Results {{!}} Eleksyon2016 {{!}} Results -|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/eleksyon2016/results/local/region+iv-a/laguna/|access-date=July 25, 2020|website=GMA News Online|language=en-US}}</ref>
In the 2019 elections, Hernandez ran for re-election under the banner of the ruling PDP-Laban and faced E.R. Ejercito once again and four other candidates.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 13, 2019 |title=Reelectionist Hernandez leads Laguna |url=https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/05/13/19/partial-halalanresults-reelectionist-hernandez-leads-laguna-gubernatorial-race |access-date=July 24, 2019 |work=ABS-CBN News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Baraoidan |first=Kimmy |date=May 15, 2019|title=Hernandez beats Ejercito anew in Laguna |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1119251/hernandez-beats-ejercito-again-laguna |access-date=July 25, 2020|website=INQUIRER.net |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Certified ka-DDS na! Laguna officials make the leap to PDP–Laban : Politiko South Luzon |date=February 13, 2018 |url=https://southluzon.politics.com.ph/2018/02/13/certified-ka-dds-na-laguna-officials-make-leap-pdp-laban/ |access-date=July 25, 2020|language=en-US}}</ref> With a total of 817,250 votes, he was re-elected to his second term as a governor along with his running mate, Katherine Agapay, who was re-elected as Vice Governor.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Halalan 2019 Philippine Election Results|url=https://halalanresults.abs-cbn.com/|access-date=July 25, 2020|website=ABS-CBN News|language=en}}</ref> They also ran for election in 2022 and re-elected to their third full term, with Hernandez gaining a total of 872,378 votes.
===House of Representatives (2025–present)=== On May 11, 2026, Hernandez voted against the second impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, contrasting with the favorable vote of his wife Ruth during the first impeachment of Duterte in 2025.<ref>{{cite news|title=LOOK: How your congressman voted in Sara Duterte impeachment case|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2226558/look-how-your-congressman-voted-in-the-sara-duterte-impeachment-proceedings|access-date=May 11, 2026|work=Inquirer.net|date=May 11, 2026|location=Manila, Philippines}}</ref>
==Awards== {{Resume-like|date=July 2025|section}} Hernandez has received numerous prestigious awards throughout his career. Some of his most significant contributions include: * 2014: Good Practices Award from the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the Department of Health (DOH).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Laguna Receives Good Practices Award from NEDA and DOH |url=https://laguna.gov.ph/news/laguna-receives-good-practices-award-neda-and-doh |access-date=July 25, 2020 |website=laguna.gov.ph |language=en}}</ref> * 2015: Gold Anvil Award for Public Relations Program Directed at Specific Stakeholders (External Communities) during the 50th Anvil Anniversary.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gov. Ramil L. Hernandez a Gold Anvil Awardee |url=https://laguna.gov.ph/news/gov-ramil-l-hernandez-gold-anvil-awardee |access-date=July 25, 2020 |website=laguna.gov.ph |language=en}}</ref> * 2015: A record of 51 awards, including three major awards from DOH Region IV-A, during the 3rd Kalusugan Pangkalahatan Awarding.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Laguna Wins a Record of 51 Awards from DOH |url=https://laguna.gov.ph/news/laguna-wins-record-51-awards-doh |access-date=July 25, 2020 |website=laguna.gov.ph |language=en}}</ref> * 2016–2019: Hall of Fame recognition for both the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Red Orchid Award from DOH.<ref>{{Cite web |title=LAGUNA bags 4th consecutive SGLG awards from DILG |url=https://laguna.gov.ph/content/laguna-bags-4th-consecutive-sglg-awards-dilg |access-date=July 25, 2020 |website=laguna.gov.ph |language=en}}</ref> * 2016: Best Provincial Police Office in Region IV-A.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Laguna receives award as Best Provincial Police Office |url=https://laguna.gov.ph/content/laguna-receives-award-best-provincial-police-office |access-date=July 25, 2020 |website=laguna.gov.ph |language=en}}</ref> * 2017: First-ever ISO 9001 Quality Management System Certification from the Government Quality Management Committee.<ref name=":0" /> * 2018: Best Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) award.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Laguna bags regional Best PDRRMC Category |url=https://laguna.gov.ph/news/laguna-bags-regional-best-pdrrmc-category |access-date=July 25, 2020 |website=laguna.gov.ph |language=en}}</ref> * 2018: Silver Award in the 1st National Anti-Drug Abuse Council (ADAC) Performance Awards.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Laguna bags silver in 1st National ADAC Performance Award |url=https://laguna.gov.ph/content/laguna-bags-silver-1st-national-adac-performance-award |access-date=July 25, 2020 |website=laguna.gov.ph |language=en}}</ref> * 2019: Gold Award in the National ADAC Performance Awards.<ref>{{Cite web |title=LAGUNA, GOLD AWARDEE SA ADAC PERFORMANCE AUDIT NG DILG. |url=https://laguna.gov.ph/content/laguna-gold-awardee-sa-adac-performance-audit-ng-dilg |access-date=July 25, 2020 |website=laguna.gov.ph |language=en}}</ref>
Additionally, Hernandez received the Gawad Parangal Award as an Outstanding Provincial Governor of the Philippines in the field of Social Welfare and Development from the Association of Local Social Welfare and Development Officers of the Philippines, Inc. (ALSWDOPI) in 2018, 2019, and 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gov. Ramil Hernandez |url=https://www.facebook.com/GovRamil/ |access-date=2020-07-26 |website=www.facebook.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Gov. Ramil Hernandez |url=https://www.facebook.com/GovRamil/posts/2776226935726563 |access-date=2020-07-26 |website=www.facebook.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Embedded Posts - Social Plugins - Documentation |url=https://www.facebook.com/20531316728/posts/10154009990506729/ |access-date=2020-12-22 |website=Facebook for Developers |language=en}}</ref>
Other notable achievements include: * 2019: Excellence Award from the Filipino Awards for Movies and Arts and Science, Inc.<ref>{{Cite web |title=FAMAS AWARDS FOR EXCELLENT PUBLIC SERVICE |date=May 2019 |url=https://southluzon.politics.com.ph/2019/05/01/pang-famas-laguna-gov-ramil-hernandez-gets-award-for-excellent-public-service/}}</ref> * 2019: ATOP-DOT Pearl Award for Best Tourism Practices.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Laguna bags major 2019 ATOP-DOT Pearl Awards for best tourism practices |url=https://laguna.gov.ph/content/laguna-bags-major-2019-atop-dot-pearl-awards-best-tourism-practices |access-date=July 25, 2020 |website=laguna.gov.ph |language=en}}</ref> * 2019: 2nd Most Competitive Province Award from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).<ref>{{Cite web |title="LET'S KEEP ON WORKING AND DREAMING!" |url=https://laguna.gov.ph/content/%E2%80%9Clet%E2%80%99s-keep-working-and-dreaming%E2%80%9D |access-date=July 25, 2020 |website=laguna.gov.ph |language=en}}</ref> * 2019: The Provincial Government of Laguna was recognized as a National Best Public Employment Service Office awardee.<ref>{{Cite web |title=DOLE honors best PESOs {{!}} Department of Labor and Employment |url=https://www.dole.gov.ph/news/dole-honors-best-pesos/ |access-date=December 16, 2020|website=www.dole.gov.ph}}</ref> * 2020: Laguna won the Digital Governance Award, securing: **Champion in Best in Customer Empowerment (G2C). **2nd Place in Best in LGU Empowerment (G2G) for the provincial level.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Facebook |url=https://www.facebook.com/DICTIIDB/photos/pcb.2789272211332704/2789268994666359 |access-date=December 16, 2020|website=www.facebook.com}}</ref>
==Personal life== He is married to fellow politician Ruth Mariano, whom he met and married while serving together as councilors of Calamba.<ref name="lpp">{{cite news|url=https://lpp.gov.ph/profile-of-gov-ramil-laurel-hernandez-laguna/|title=Profile of GOV. RAMIL LAUREL HERNANDEZ, Laguna|website=League of Provinces of the Philippines|accessdate=July 2, 2022}}</ref> They have two daughters.<ref name=":0" />
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Edwin Olivarez}} {{s-ttl|title=Vice Governor of Laguna|years=2007–2010}} {{s-aft|after=Caesar Perez}} {{s-bef|before=Caesar Perez}} {{s-ttl|title=Vice Governor of Laguna|years=2013–2014}} {{s-aft|after=Karen Agapay}} {{s-bef|before=E. R. Ejercito}} {{s-ttl|title=Governor of Laguna|years=2014–2025}} {{s-aft|after=Sol Aragones}} |- {{s-par|ph-lwr}} {{s-bef|before=Ruth Hernandez}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the House of Representatives<br>from Laguna's 2nd district|years=2025–present}} {{s-inc}} {{s-end}}
{{Current Philippine Governors}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hernandez, Ramil}} Category:1972 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century Filipino politicians Category:Filipino Roman Catholics Category:Governors of Laguna (province) Category:Lakas–CMD politicians Category:Members of the Laguna Provincial Board Category:Nacionalista Party politicians Category:Partido Demokratiko Pilipino politicians Category:People from Calamba, Laguna Category:Tagalog people Category:Vice governors of Laguna