Evelio Ramos Leonardia (born 10 July 1952), sometimes known as Bing Leonardia, is a Filipino realtor, lawyer, and politician who was the 36th Mayor of Bacolod. He served as Vice Mayor of the City of Bacolod from 1992 to 1995 under Alfredo Montelibano and represented the Lone District of Bacolod from 2013 to 2016.
Early life
Evelio Leonardia was born to a Court of First Instance Clerk of Court Jose Tulo Leonardia, and Ester Javier Ramos, a housewife on July 10, 1952, in Bacolod, Philippines. He had nine siblings.
Education
Leonardia graduated highschool from La Consolacion College-Bacolod, and in 1973 earned his degree of Bachelor of Science in commerce from then La Salle College-Bacolod, now University of St. La Salle, graduating cum laude.
In 1979, he finished the Bachelor of Laws degree from University of Negros Occidental – Recoletos and passed the Bar Examinations conducted by the Supreme Court of the Philippines with a rating of 81.90% that same year.
Early career
During 1973 to 1978 served the Philippine Commercial International Bank of Bacolod in various positions, culminating as the officer-in-charge.
Political life
1978-1995
From 1978 to 1986, he first entered public service as Provincial Field Coordinator of Negros Occidental for the Department of Tourism, holding the position for almost nine years. From 1987 to 1988, he briefly returned to the private sector as general manager of Prawntech, Inc.
Beginning in the Fifth Republic, after the EDSA People Power Revolution, Leonardia was first elected to the Bacolod City Council in 1988 Philippine local elections, gaining the most number of votes amongst councilors. He served as a director of the Negros Occidental chapters of the National Movement of Young Legislators president of the Philippine Councilors League.
Leonardia headed various committee chairs in the Sangguniang Panlungsod. Both the Committee on Education, Culture and Tourism, and the Committee on Ways and Means from 1988 to 1990, the Price Monitoring Council from 1989 to 1991, and the Committee on Social Defense and Fire from 1990 to 1992.
During this time, he passed and was placed 7th in the Negros Occidental Real Estate Broker Examination in 1990, and resumed position in the private sector as vice president for International Affairs Real Estate Brokers Association of the Philippines, from 1990 to 1992.
During the 1992 Philippine presidential election, he campaigned and was elected as vice mayor of the city of Bacolod, during the term of Alfredo Montelibano Jr. During this time, he was elected as the Senior Executive Vice President of the Vice Mayors League of the Philippines.
1995-1998
Working as vice mayor garnered Leonardia enough support to be elected in his first term as mayor of Bacolod in the 1995 Philippine general election in the middle of the term of then president Fidel Ramos. Leonardia's deputy Wilmar Drilon served a vice mayor. Leonardia's brother, Prospero Leonardia, was also involved in the administration of his brother, became his private secretary and his trustee in government projects.
In the 1998 Philippine general election, however, he was defeated by Oscar Verdeflor, who won the mayoralty seat, with his running mate, Luzviminda Valdez as vice mayor.
1998-2004
Upon the end of the term of Oscar Verdeflor, he was later on replaced by his deputy, then incumbent vice mayor, Luzviminda Valdez, as mayor in the next election. Valdez campaigned for the same mayoral position as Leonardia and defeated him in the 2001 Philippine general election.
2004-2013
Leonardia campaigned for office in 2004 Philippine general election, narrowly winning over Valdez. It was in this second term as mayor that he was elected Deputy Secretary General for Visayas, National Vice Chairman and National Executive Vice President of the League of Cities of the Philippines, in each of his renewed mandate as mayor thereon to his third term on 2007 Philippine general election, and fourth term on 2010 Philippine general election. Leonardia's second to fourth term services coincided with the terms of the presidents Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Benigno Aquino III.
2013-2016
He campaigned in the 2013 Philippine general election as congressman, with Grupo Progreso, and supported by the Nationalist People’s Coalition.