Rafael M. Salas - Biography

Biography

Rafael M. Salas was born in Bago City, Negros Occidental, Philippines on August 7, 1928, one of three children of Ernesto Araneta Salas and Isabel Neri Montinola. After World War II, Salas went to Manila to continue his education and obtained his B.A. (magna cum laude) from the University of the Philippines in 1950. Three years later, he completed his law degree (cum laude) from the U.P. College of Law. He then attended Harvard University, where he finished his master's degree in public administration in 1955. He returned to his country and joined the academe at his alma mater, the University of the Philippines as a lecturer in Economics until 1959 when he transferred to the Far Eastern University as professorial lecturer until 1961. He was rehired by the University of the Philippines as assistant vice president from 1962-63 and then as professorial lecturer of Law and member of the Board of Regents from 1963-66.

By 1966, Salas, also known affectionately as "Paeng," was recruited to a Cabinet position as executive secretary of President Ferdinand E. Marcos. While executive secretary, Salas was named by Marcos as chief action officer of the National Rice Sufficiency Program and was credited for the dramatic increase in rice production whose shortfall perrenially plagued the country.

But due to irreconcilable differences with President Ferdinand E. Marcos, he resigned and accepted a position to become the first executive director of UNFPA in 1969. (The agency is now known as the United Nations Fund and is led by an undersecretary general.) Salas served in this position with efficiency and distinction. (3)

As a UN official, he was well respected as a morally upright leader (3) and for his dedication to the advancement of the UN population programs. An article entitled "Knowing the Man and the Award" and published by the Commission on Population of the Philippines (POPCOM) cited Salas as "widely known as 'Mr. Population' in the international population community. He brought together more developed and less developed countries, helping them to become aware of the extent to which they share an interest in population and development." (1) For his contributions to the global understanding of population, Salas received 30 honorary degrees, honorary professorships, and academic awards from higher academic institutions in 25 countries.(3)

Besides his role as international public servant, Salas was also a poet and author. He contributed articles to international magazines and newspapers drawing on his writing skills as past editor of the Philippine Law Journal. He died on March 4, 1987 in Washington, DC from an apparent heart attack as he prepared to return to the Philippines shortly after the restoration of democracy in the People Power Revolution of 1986 that swept Marcos out of power. It was speculated at the time of his death that Salas would make a run for the presidency of the Philippines.