Martin Romualdez

Ferdinand Martin Gomez Romualdez (, born November 14, 1963) is a Filipino businessman, lawyer and politician serving as the Speaker of the House of Representatives since July 25, 2022. He is also serving as the Representative for the 1st district of Leyte since 2019 and previously from 2007 to 2016. He formerly served as the House Majority Leader from 2019 to 2022, and unsuccessfully ran for senator in the 2016 elections. He is a first cousin of President Bongbong Marcos

Romualdez is the owner of newspaper companies ''Manila Standard'' and the Journal Group of Publications and mass media firm Philippine Collective Media Corporation. He is also the National President of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats political party.

Biography

Family

Ferdinand Martin Gomez Romualdez was born on November 14, 1963, the third child of Benjamin Romualdez and Juliette Gomez-Romualdez. The Romualdezes are an influential and affluent family. His father, Benjamin, served as Governor of Leyte and Ambassador to the United States, and was also one of the richest men in the Philippines.
His paternal aunt is Imelda Romualdez Marcos, who was the former First Lady of the Philippines. This makes former President Ferdinand Marcos his uncle, while President Bongbong and Senator Imee Marcos are his cousins.

Education

Romualdez attended Cornell University in the United States from 1981 to 1985, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in government. In 1988, he earned a Certificate of Special Studies in Administration and Management from Harvard University. He later enrolled at the University of the Philippine College of Law in 1988, where he became a brother of the Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity. He earned his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1992. He was admitted to the bar in 1993.

Career

Also in 1992, Romualdez started to serve as concurrent trustee and president of Doña Remedios Trinidad Romualdez Medical and Dr. Vicente Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation. In 1995, meanwhile, he started work as director and legal counsel for the CARPA Realty Development Corporation, and as trustee for Remedios Trinidad Romualdez Medical Foundation. He still holds both offices. Before his work in his family's foundations, he spent a considerable time in the banking field. He was chairman of the board for Equitable PCI Bank, as well as Director for several companies, among them Philippine Commercial International Bank, Equitable Card Network, EBC Investments, Inc., Equitable Savings Bank, PCI Leasing Corporation, and PCI Capital Corporation.

As early as April 2014, Romualdez has expressed his interest to run as Senator in the 2016 elections. He filed his certificate of candidacy for Senator on October 13, 2015. He will run under the Lakas–CMD party, of which he is the current national president.

In an event commemorating the second anniversary of the Typhoon Haiyan aftermath in Tacloban on November 7, 2015, Romualdez, declared his support for the presidential candidate of the United Nationalist Alliance, Jejomar Binay. Aside from Binay, Davao City Mayor and presidential aspirant Rodrigo Duterte also endorsed the candidacy of Romualdez.

Romualdez is also the author of the House Bill No. 1039, which was enacted into law by President Benigno Aquino III as Republic Act No. 10754 or an act on expanding the benefits and privileges of people with disabilities.

On July 10, 2020, Martin and his wife Yedda Romualdez are among the 70 congressman who voted "yes" to reject the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN.

On late November 2022, Marcos, together with House Speaker Martin Romualdez, plans to file the House Bill 6398, also known as the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF). The aim is to create a sovereign wealth fund for the Philippines. The bill draws inspiration from South Korea's Korea Investment Corporation.

On late November 2022, Romualdez, together with Marcos family, plans to file the House Bill 6398, also known as the Maharlika Investments Fund (MIF). The aim is to create a sovereign wealth fund for the Philippines. The bill draws inspiration from South Korea's Korea Investment Corporation. MIF is targeted to be approved by the House of Representatives on December 12, 2022. Economist Michael Batu said the bill can help raise money to help the government's programs and achieve development goals, if managed properly.

Personal life

Martin Romualdez is married to Yedda Marie M. Kittilstvedt, a former beauty pageant contestant who competed in Miss International 1996 and won. She is known as a staunch advocate of women's and children's rights issues. They have four children together: Andrew Julian (2000), Ferdinand Martin, Jr. (2001), Mariabella Gabrielle “Minxie” (2007), and Yedda Marie Danielle "Maddey" (2015). The family is currently living in Makati City, Philippines.

References

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Romualdez, Martin
1963 births
Cornell University alumni
Harvard University alumni
Lakas–CMD politicians
Living people
Majority leaders of the House of Representatives of the Philippines
Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Leyte (province)
People from Manila
Martin
Speakers of the House of Representatives of the Philippines
University of the Philippines alumni