Jesse Manalastas Robredo was born on May 27, 1958 in Naga City to José Chan Robredo Sr. (1923 – 2015), a Filipino Chinese and his native Filipina wife of ethnic Bicolano descent, Marcelina Manalastas-Robredo (1928 – 2013). Robredo is of Chinese descent through his paternal grandfather, who immigrated to the Philippines from Fujian province at the beginning of the 20th century, and has a Hokkien Chinese name, Lim Pieng Ti. He was the third of five siblings: he had a brother, José “Butch” Robredo Jr., a businessman; and three sisters: Jocelyn Robredo-Austria, who lives in the USA; Jenny Robredo-Tang; and Josephine (Penny) Robredo-Bundoc of the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH).

Robredo entered high school at the Ateneo de Naga University in 1970 and was in junior year when President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in September 1972. The university administration immediately called an assembly and warned its students against getting involved in anti-government activities – which could result in the school being closed down.

Jesse obtained his undergraduate degrees in industrial management engineering and mechanical engineering at De La Salle University. In 1980, Robredo worked for the San Miguel Corporation in Mandaluyong City, in the Physical Distribution Technical Services of the General Services Division, and within six months, Robredo had hurdled two of the three levels in the division and was then sent to the finance division for another six months. He was later accepted as an Edward Mason Fellow and graduated with a Master of Public Administration degree from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government in 1999. In 1985, Robredo finished his Masters in Business Administration at the University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, as a scholar and was named the Graduate School and Faculty Organization awardee for scholarly excellence. The Far Eastern University bestowed Robredo with a doctorate in Humanities, honoris causa, during its 80th commencement exercise held at the plenary hall of the Philippine International Convention Center on April 4, 2008, recognizing his efforts to develop Naga City.

In 1986, Robredo returned to Naga City, where he became Program Director of the Bicol River Basin Development Program, an agency tasked to undertake integrated area development planning in the three provinces of the Bicol region. It is while working at the BRBDP he met fellow Nagueño Leni Gerona, whom he would marry the following year.

In 1988, Robredo was elected mayor of Naga City at age 29, the youngest mayor in Philippine history. His three terms as mayor ended on June 30, 1998. He was again elected as City Mayor in 2001 and finished his second three terms on June 30, 2010. He served for a total of nineteen (19) years as Naga City Mayor before being appointed on July 9, 2010 as Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). Robredo was able to transform Naga City from being dull and lethargic to being one of the “Most Improved Cities in Asia,” as cited by Asiaweek Magazine in 1999.

During his time in city hall, Robredo was credited for “dramatically improved stakeholdership and people participation in governance, in the process restoring Naga to its preeminent position as the premier city of Bicol Region.” In 1995, in recognition of his skills and competence as a leader and development manager, Robredo was elected President of the League of Cities of the Philippines, the national association of city mayors. Robredo also chairs the Metro Naga Development Council.” He served as chairman of the Regional Development Council, the regional planning and coordinating body of Bicol’s six provinces and seven cities, from 1992 to 1998.

Benigno Aquino III was Secretary of Interior and Local Government, until Aquino named Robredo to succeed him. At least two politicians from Bicol, Luis Ortega and Luis Villafuerte Sr. expressed opposition to Robredo’s confirmation by the Commission on Appointments of which Villafuerte himself was a member. In March 2012, the Commission on Appointments bypassed Robredo’s nomination. His nomination was bypassed again in June 2012. Another confirmation hearing had reportedly been set on August 29, 2012, eleven days after Robredo’s sudden death.

Robredo was killed in an air accident on August 18, 2012, when the Piper Seneca light aircraft he was travelling in crashed off the coast of Masbate Island. He was flying to Naga City to assist to his daughter’s swimming competition. The plane suffered an engine failure en route from Cebu City, and was attempting an emergency landing at Masbate Airport. Robredo’s aide, Police Chief Inspector June Paolo Abrazado, was also on board but survived.

His funeral was held at the Archbishop’s Palace in Naga City before it was transferred to Malacañang Palace for an official wake on August 24, 2012. His remains were later brought back to his hometown of Naga and cremated.

Philippine President Aquino conferred the Philippine Legion of Honor with the rank of Chief Commander upon Robredo on August 28, 2012 just before the state funeral.