First Ladies and Gentlemen of the Philippines
| First Lady or Gentleman of the Philippines | |
|---|---|
| Unang Ginang o Ginoó ng Pilipinas | |
Incumbent None[note 1] | |
| Style | His/Her Excellency |
| Residence | Malacañang Palace |
| Inaugural holder | Hilaria Aguinaldo[note 2] |
| Formation | 23 January 1899 |
First Lady or First Gentleman of the Philippines (Filipino: Unang Ginang o Unang Ginoó ng Pilipinas) is the courtesy title given to the host or hostess of Malacañang Palace, the residence of the head of state and head of government of the Philippines.
The title is traditionally held by the consort of the president of the Philippines, and as such is used to interchangeably refer to the spouse of the incumbent; however, this is rarely the case, especially for presidents without a living spouse at the time of their tenure. The position, which is customary in nature and dignity, merits no official remuneration from the state.
The current president, Rodrigo Duterte, has no designated First Lady despite having Honeylet Avanceña as his common-law wife, having been annulled from his first wife, Elizabeth Zimmerman. No other family member or any other individual has been designated as the current First Lady.
Terminology[edit]
The host of the Malacañang Palace, who is usually the consort of the President, has been referred to in English as the "First Lady" (Filipino: Unang Ginang). As Gloria Macapagal Arroyo took office as the first female president who is not a widow, the masculine form "First Gentleman" (abbreviated FG; Filipino: Unang Ginoó) was used for her husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo.[2]
Role[edit]
The position of First Lady or First Gentleman is not an elected position, carries no official duties, and has no personal remuneration. Nonetheless, the title holder participates in humanitarian and charitable work on behalf of the president, often in line with his or her policies and programmes. Furthermore, many of the holders of this post have taken an active role in campaigning for the president, or have participated in public life through some other manner.
Imelda Marcos was given a formal job as Governor of Metro Manila and as Minister of Human Settlements by her husband Ferdinand Marcos during his 21-year rule. She is also the first incumbent First Lady to enter politics by winning a seat in the Interim Batasang Pambansa in 1978.
Two former First Ladies later won seats in Congress after their husbands' tenures in office. In 1995, Marcos herself became the first former First Lady to win a seat in the House of Representatives. In 2001, Loi Ejercito became the first former First Lady to win a seat in the Senate.
List[edit]
Pres No. | Portrait | First Lady or First Gentleman (Birth name) | Tenure | Age at tenure start | President (Spouse, unless noted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | .jpg) | Hilaria Aguinaldo February 17, 1877 – March 6, 1921 (aged 44) | January 23, 1899 – March 23, 1901 | 21 years, 340 days | Aguinaldo m. January 1, 1896 |
| 2 |  | Aurora Quezon February 19, 1888 – April 28, 1949 (aged 61) | November 15, 1935 – August 1, 1944 | 47 years, 269 days | Quezon m. December 17, 1918 |
| 3 |  | Pacencia Laurel April 30, 1889 – January 1, 1963 (aged 73) | October 14, 1943 – August 17, 1945 | 54 years, 167 days | Laurel m. April 9, 1911 |
| 4 | .jpg) | Esperanza Osmeña December 18, 1894 – April 4, 1978 (aged 83) | August 1, 1944 – May 28, 1946 | 49 years, 227 days | Osmeña m. January 10, 1920 |
| 5 |  | Trinidad Roxas October 4, 1899 – June 20, 1995 (aged 94) | May 28, 1946 – April 15, 1948 | 46 years, 236 days | Roxas m. April 14, 1921 |
| 6 | .jpg) | Victoria Quirino May 18, 1931 – November 29, 2006 (aged 75) | April 17, 1948 – December 30, 1953 | 16 years, 335 days | Quirino Daughter [note 3] |
| 7 | _(cropped).jpg) | Luz Magsaysay June 25, 1914 – August 17, 2004 (aged 90) | December 30, 1953 – March 17, 1957 | 39 years, 188 days | Magsaysay m. June 16, 1933 |
| 8 | Leonila Garcia July 17, 1906 – May 17, 1994 (aged 87) | March 18, 1957 – December 30, 1961 | 50 years, 244 days | Garcia m. May 24, 1933 | |
| 9 |  | Eva Macapagal November 1, 1915 – May 16, 1999 (aged 83) | December 30, 1961 – December 30, 1965 | 46 years, 59 days | Macapagal m. May 5, 1946 |
| 10 |  | Imelda Marcos Born July 2, 1929 | December 30, 1965 – February 25, 1986 | 36 years, 181 days | Marcos m. April 17, 1954 |
| – | Vacant | C. Aquino [note 4] | |||
| 11 | Amelita Ramos Born December 29, 1926 | June 30, 1992 – June 30, 1998 | 62 years, 184 days | Ramos m. October 21, 1954 | |
| 12 | .jpg) | Loi Ejercito Born June 2, 1930 | June 30, 1998 – January 20, 2001 | 68 years, 28 days | Estrada m. December 6, 1959 |
| 13 | .jpg) | Jose Miguel Arroyo Born June 27, 1945 | January 20, 2001 – June 30, 2010 | 55 years, 207 days | Arroyo m. August 2, 1968 |
| – | Vacant | B. Aquino [note 5] | |||
| Duterte [note 6] | |||||
Non-spouses who held the distinction[edit]
.jpg)
On a few occasions, individuals who are not spouses of the incumbent president have temporarily performed tasks reserved for the First Lady or First Gentleman, effectively rendering them as the de facto holder of the position; most often they are a direct relative of the president. To date, only Elpidio Quirino, Corazon Aquino, and Benigno Aquino III had no spouse to assume the title of First Lady or First Gentleman.[3] Rodrigo Duterte did not appoint a First Lady despite having Honeylet Avanceña as his common-law wife. In the case of Quirino, his daughter received the title as he was a widower upon his accession.
By President[edit]
Elpidio Quirino[edit]
Victoria Quirino-Gonzalez was the First Lady for her father, Elpidio Quirino. She was made the official host of the Malacañang Palace.[4] However Victoria is regarded as the first to be named with the role "First Lady". The spouses of previous presidents, from Emilio Aguinaldo to Manuel Roxas, were not given the title during their respective husbands' terms.[1]
Corazon Aquino[edit]
Corazón Aquino was married to Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr., whose assassination on August 21, 1983 was a key factor in her accession in 1986. Her eldest daughter, María Elena "Ballsy" Aquino-Cruz, served as her mother's proxy in some social functions, accompanied her on state visits, and served as her personal secretary.[5]
Benigno Aquino III[edit]
Benigno Aquino III never married, so the Palace hired professionals to manage tasks and duties customarily reserved for the First Lady, such as organizing state dinners.[3]
On some occasions, he charged one or more of his sisters with entertaining local and foreign dignitaries.[6] During the 2015 APEC summit hosted in Pasay, his youngest sister, Kris Aquino served as de facto, temporary First Lady for the event. Their other sisters, Ballsy Aquino-Cruz, Pinky Aquino-Abelleda, and Viel Aquino-Dee, also assisted him in his various duties.[5][7][8][9][10]
Rodrigo Duterte[edit]
Prior to his inauguration, incumbent Rodrigo Duterte declared his eldest daughter Sara would be First Lady despite having Honeylet Avanceña as his common-law wife. He was previously married to Elizabeth Zimmerman;[11] their marriage was annulled in 2000. Avanceña has fulfilled the role of consort for Duterte during the official visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and as official host of the 30th ASEAN Summit in 2017.[12]
However, Sara Duterte was already mayor-elect of Davao City, and declined the offer.[13][14] Following her filing of a 10-day leave of absence until June 22, there were speculations that she did so to assume the role of First Lady, but she neither denied or confirmed speculations.[15][16] Former Department of Interior and Local Government secretary Rafael Alunan suggested that Vice-President Leni Robredo serve as de facto First Lady[17] but this never materialised.
Lifespan[edit]
| Birth order | First Lady or First Gentleman Birth name | Birthdate Place | Order of tenure | Date of Death Place | Age[18] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hilaria Aguinaldo Hilaria del Rosario | February 17, 1877 Imus, Cavite | 1 | March 6, 1921 Cavite el Viejo, Cavite | 44 years, 17 days |
| 2 | Aurora Quezon Aurora Antonia Aragon | February 19, 1888 Baler, Tayabas | 2 | April 28, 1949 Bongabon, Nueva Ecija | 61 years, 68 days |
| 3 | Pacencia Laurel Pacencia Hidalgo | April 30, 1889 | 3 | January 1, 1963 | 73 years, 246 days |
| 4 | Esperanza Osmeña Esperanza Limjap | December 18, 1894 Manila | 4 | April 4, 1978 Makati | 83 years, 107 days |
| 5 | Trinidad Roxas Trinidad de Leon | October 4, 1899 San Miguel, Bulacan | 5 | June 20, 1995 Quezon City | 95 years, 259 days |
| 6 | Leonila Garcia Leonila Dimataga | July 17, 1906 Opon, Cebu | 8 | May 17, 1994 Quezon City | 87 years, 304 days |
| 7 | Luz Magsaysay Luz Banzon | June 25, 1914 Balanga, Bataan | 7 | August 17, 2004 Quezon City | 90 years, 53 days |
| 8 | Eva Macapagal Evangelina Macaraeg | November 1, 1915 Binalonan, Pangasinan | 9 | May 16, 1999 Manila | 83 years, 196 days |
| 9 | Amelita Ramos Amelita Martinez | December 29, 1927 Manila | 12 | Living | 94 years, 64 days+ |
| 10 | Imelda Marcos Imelda Remedios Visitacion Romualdez | July 2, 1929 Manila | 10 | Living | 92 years, 244 days+ |
| 11 | Loi Ejercito Luisa Pimentel | June 2, 1930 Iba, Zambales | 13 | Living | 91 years, 274 days+ |
| 12 | Victoria Quirino Victoria Quirino | May 18, 1931 Manila | 6 | November 29, 2006 Amsterdam, Netherlands | 75 years, 195 days |
| 13 | Jose Miguel Arroyo Jose Miguel Arroyo | June 27, 1945 Negros Occidental | 14 | Living | 76 years, 249 days+ |
See also[edit]
- President of the Philippines
- List of presidents of the Philippines
- List of ancient Philippine consorts
- Malacañang Palace
- First lady
Notes[edit]
- ^ Currently, there is no individual holding this customary title. Honeylet Avanceña is the common-law spouse of current President Rodrigo Duterte, who had initially offered the title to his daughter, Sara. The latter declined, citing her duties as Mayor of Davao City, but some media outlets consider her as the de facto first lady.
- ^ The term "First Lady" was first used for Victoria Quirino-González, who was the daughter of President Elpidio Quirino.[1]
- ^ Quirino's spouse, Alicia Quirino, was massacred along with the rest of the family during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in World War II before he became President. Their daughter, Victoria, is considered de facto First Lady.
- ^ Aquino's spouse, Benigno Aquino Jr., was assassinated before she became President.
- ^ Aquino was unmarried during his presidency.
- ^ Duterte's marriage with Elizabeth Zimmerman was annulled before he became President.
References[edit]
- ^ a b Lo, Ricky (15 May 2016). "The Fabulous First Ladies, 1897-2001". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
- ^ Flores, Wilson Lee (2 March 2003). "Who were the best First Ladies?". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
- ^ a b San Juan, Thelma Sioson (27 July 2014). "President who has no first lady: It is what it is". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
- ^ Tejero, Constantino. "'Do not depend on a man': Why the Quirino women are the family's driving force". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
When he (Elpidio Quirino) became president in 1948 (succeeding Manuel Roxas, who died of heart attack while in office), he made 16-year-old Vicky his First Lady and official hostess at Malacañang functions. He never remarried.
- ^ a b Lago, Amanda T. (26 June 2021). "The sisters Noynoy Aquino leaves behind". Rappler. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
- ^ "President who has no first lady: It is what it is". Inquirer Lifestyle. Philippine Daily Inquirer. 27 July 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
- ^ "WATCH: Kris to host lunch for APEC first ladies". 9 November 2015.
- ^ "LOOK: Kris, sisters all set to host luncheon for APEC first ladies". 19 November 2015.
- ^ "There are 10 first ladies who confirmed to Kris Aquino's lunch | Coconuts Manila". 10 November 2015.
- ^ Montesa, Jon (11 November 2015). "Kris as APEC 2015 First Lady". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on 21 November 2015. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
- ^ Vanzi, Sol (26 June 2016). "Duterte's women". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on 2 July 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
Although Duterte has announced that his official First Lady...
- ^ Ranada, Pia (1 July 2017). "The evolution of Duterte's First Lady: Honeylet Avanceña". Rappler.
- ^ Alconaba, Nico (11 May 2016). "Mayor Sara turns down first lady job". Inquirer Mindanao. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
The country's next President still has no first lady after Sara Duterte-Carpio, daughter of presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte, turned down the offer.
- ^ "Duterte's families arrive separately in Malacañang". GMA News. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
During the campaigns, Duterte had said that he was planning to name Inday Sara as his First Lady, but she begged off citing her responsibilities in Davao City.
- ^ Carillo, Carmencita (2 July 2016). "Davao mayor takes a leave on first day of office". BusinessWorld. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- ^ Carillo, Lovely (13 July 2016). "Pulong denies Sara resigning". The Mindanao Daily Mirror. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- ^ Macabalang, Ali (4 July 2016). "Leni pushed as Duterte's 'de facto First Lady' in official functions". Manila Bulletin.
- ^ Updated daily according to UTC.
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