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Arthur C. Yap | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2025 | |
| Member of thePhilippine House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office October 2, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Constituency | Party-list (Murang Kuryente) |
| In office June 30, 2010 – June 30, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Adam Jala |
| Succeeded by | Kristine Alexie Besas-Tutor |
| Constituency | Bohol (3rd district) |
| 26th Governor of Bohol | |
| In office June 30, 2019 – June 30, 2022 | |
| Vice Governor | Rene Relampagos |
| Preceded by | Edgar Chatto |
| Succeeded by | Aris Aumentado |
| 41stSecretary of Agriculture | |
| In office October 25, 2006 – February 24, 2010 | |
| President | Gloria Macapagal Arroyo |
| Preceded by | Domingo F. Panganiban |
| Succeeded by | Bernie Fondevilla |
| In office August 23, 2004 – June 30, 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Luis Lorenzo |
| Succeeded by | Domingo F. Panganiban |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Arthur Cua Yap (1965-11-10)November 10, 1965 (age 59) |
| Political party | Murang Kuryente (partylist; 2024–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Lakas (2004–2015) NPC (2015–2017) PDP (2017–2024) |
| Spouse | Carolyne Varquez-Gow |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Pasig |
| Alma mater | Ateneo de Manila University(A.B.,JD) |
Arthur "Art" Cua Yap (Chinese:黃嚴輝;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:N̂g Gân-hui;pinyin:Huáng Yánhuī;[1] born November 10, 1965) is aFilipinopolitician who is the former governor ofBohol from 2019 to 2022. He was thesecretary of the Department of Agriculture under theArroyo administration from 2004 to 2005 and from 2006 to 2007.[2] He became a member of theHouse of Representatives of the Philippines, representing the3rd District of Bohol from 2010 to 2019.
Yap was born on November 10, 1965, inManila.[3] He is the eldest among the three children of Domingo Yap and Natividad Cua. His father was born inJolo,Sulu and is ofChinese-Tausug descent while his mother, also with Chinese ancestry, was fromDagupan,Pangasinan.[4]
For his elementary and high school education, Yap studied atXavier School from 1973 to 1983.[4] He went toAteneo de Manila University for college and graduated in 1987 with a degree in management economics. He was adean’s lister during this time and hadGloria Macapagal Arroyo as his economics professor. He was also a student leader in high school and college, and was present atEDSA during thePeople Power Revolution.[4] He went to theAteneo de Manila University School of Law for hisJuris Doctor's degree and was admitted to the bar in 1992.[4]
While studying, Yap was recruited by a professor to join the Balane, Barican, Cruz, Alampay Law Office. He worked there for about two years. After being admitted to the bar, he was recommended by Fr.Joaquin Bernas to join the law office of formerAssociate JusticeAdolfo Azcuna. Because of that, he became an associate lawyer of the Azcuna, Yorac, Sarmiento, Arroyo, Cua Law Office.[4]
In the late 1990s, Yap co-founded a law office with Paulino Ejercito and Karlo Butiong.[4][5] The latter served as the external corporate counsel for DHY Realty and Development Inc., a family-owned corporation in which Yap and his father held the positions of vice president and president, respectively. This company became the subject of a tax evasion complaint filed by theBureau of Internal Revenue, alleging actions dating back to 1997. However, this complaint was subsequently dismissed by theDepartment of Justice in October 2005.[6]
Yap first entered government service in August 2001 as president and CEO of the Philippine International Trading Corporation under theDepartment of Trade and Industry. Thereafter, he served as the administrator of theNational Food Authority for two years and asAgriculture Undersecretary for Luzon Operations, after which was a brief stint as the Secretary of Agriculture. He was one of the youngest to be appointed to the Cabinet of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He was also designated as the Development Champion for the North LuzonAgribusiness Quadrangle (NLAQ). He then left the post in July 2005 to give way to Domingo Panganiban.
In December 2005, he became Presidential Adviser for Job Creation. He then became the 15th Director General of thePresidential Management Staff, the fifth post he had been designated to in the Arroyo administration. He was appointed again as Agriculture Secretary in October 2006, serving until his resignation in February 2010 to run as a member of theHouse of Representatives.
From 2010 to 2019, Yap was a congressman representing the third district of Bohol. While there, he held various positions such as being assistant minority leader of the Committee on Rules,[7] vice-chairman of the Committees on Globalization And WTO,[8] Government Enterprises And Privatization,[8] and Ecology,[9] chairman of the Committees on Reforestation[8] and Economic Affairs,[9] and being the deputy speaker from 2018 to 2019.[10]
During the2019 Philippine gubernatorial elections, Yap ran for governor of Bohol underPDP–Laban, the party ofPresidentRodrigo Duterte. His opponents included formerCabinet SecretaryLeoncio Evasco. Yap won by a slim margin of 2,161 votes garnering 326,895 votes against Evasco’s 324,734.[11] He took his oath on June 30, 2019, officially becoming Bohol's 26th governor.[12]
Yap, with only 283,903 lost toErico Aristotle Aumentado who garnered 469,736 in the2022 Bohol local elections.[13]
In a January 18, 2023 14-page SC Third DivisionDecision, JusticeJapar Dimaampao ordered the dismissal ofPhilippine Rice Research Institute car plan charges against Yap based on violation of hisspeedy trial rights.[14]
The Supreme Court’s Third Division, in a 29-page April 15, 2024 Judgment granted Yap'sPetition for review onCertiorari against theSandiganbayan’s Third Division ruling. He wasacquitted of alleged two counts ofgraft andmisuse of congressional 2007 to 2009pork barrel.[15]
Yap is married to Carolyne Varquez-Gow, a native ofLoboc, Bohol. Together they have 2 children.[4] He speaks Tagalog, English and Cebuano (both Standard andBoholano dialect).[16]
Media related toArthur Yap at Wikimedia Commons| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Governor of Bohol 2019–2022 | Succeeded by |
| Government offices | ||
| Preceded by | Secretary of Agriculture 2006–2010 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Luis P. Lorenzo Jr. | Secretary of Agriculture 2004–2005 | Succeeded by |
| House of Representatives of the Philippines | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theHouse of Representatives fromBohol's3rd district 2010–2019 | Succeeded by |
| Grand Collar (Supremo) | |
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| Grand Cross (Bayani) |
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| Grand Officer (Marangal na Pinuno) | |
| Commander (Komandante) | |
| Officer (Pinuno) | |
| Champion for Life (Kampeon Habang Buhay) | |
