His humble beginnings have taught him the value of hard work, respect and a deep understanding of serving the public. Born third among the thirteen off springs of former barangay captain Norberto Hernandez and Rosalinda Laurel, he was raised to a life of simplicity, grounded on faith and the importance of family, in the small barangay of Mabato in Calamba City.
Driven by his quest for excellence, he was a consistent member of the Honors Society at the Laguna College of Business and Arts in high school. It was during these years that his leadership fully became imminent, having been elected as President of the student body, Corps Commander of the Citizen Advancement Training I, and was awarded for his Leadership, Duty Service and Talent.
His stellar performance continued through college at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran where he finished a degree in BS Commerce, Major in Accounting all while being a working student. He persevered despite his hardships, believing on the importance of education, which, up to this day serves as an inspiration in his programs for the youth and scholars of the province.
A natural born leader, he started officially as a public servant in 1993 when he was elected Sangguniang Kabataan Chairman of Brgy. Mabato. He then became one of the most prominent three-termer Councilors of the City of Calamba from 1995 to 2004, and served as President of the National Movement of Young Legislators-Laguna Chapter.
It was during this time that he met and married Hon. Ruth Mariano Hernandez, who was also serving as a City Councilor, and through their collaborations first emerged the programs for senior citizens in the City of Calamba. His wife is presently a Member of the House of Representatives – 2nd District of Laguna, continuously working alongside him through their joint efforts for the marginalized sectors of the community, pioneering livelihood projects for the women sector of the province. They are blessed with two daughters, Natasha and Natalie Hernandez.
It was in year 2004 that he made history by becoming the No. 1 Provincial Board Member, gaining the highest number of votes in the history of Laguna, and, again, in year 2007 when he was elected as the youngest Vice Governor with an overwhelming turnout of votes – a landslide victory.
He continued making a mark in the history of politics when he assumed the post as Laguna Governor in year 2014. As one of the youngest Governor ever to lead the province, he vowed to make himself worthy of the trust bestowed upon him by the Lagunenses, armed by his life’s experiences, accomplishments and utmost dedication in promoting the welfare of the people.
His “8-Point Serbisyong Tama Program” has been a consistent and effective framework in promoting and implementing developmental plans and programs that focuses on 1) health, 2) social welfare services, 3) education, 4) employment, 5) agriculture and food security, 6) infrastructure, 7) peace and order, and 8) a transformative and professionalized bureaucracy as his priorities in governance. This platform aims to provide basic services from the most industrialized cities to the most remote barangays and sitios of the province.
Under his leadership, the Province of Laguna was bestowed the coveted Red Orchid Award for health, and numerous citations for disaster risk reduction and management, peace and order, public employment, digital governance for customer empowerment implemented in hospital and scholarship services, among others.
Most significant of his recognitions are the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) Hall of Famer awarded by the DILG in years 2016, 2017 and 2018. He also received the prestigious FAMAS Award for or Excellence in Public Service in 2019, and the Gawad Parangal Award as an Outstanding Provincial Governor of the Philippines for Social Services consistently from year 2018 up to present.
These are testaments to the exemplary and effective service to the Lagunenses of LAGUNA GOVERNOR, HON. RAMIL LAUREL HERNANDEZ.