Dulce Maramba Quintans-Saguisag (September 5, 1944 – November 8, 2007) was a Filipino politician and former Secretary of the

Department of Social Welfare and Development The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD; ) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the protection of the social welfare of rights of Filipinos and to promote social development. History In 1915, ...

under the administration of former President

Joseph Estrada Joseph Ejercito Estrada (; born Jose Marcelo Ejercito; April 19, 1937), also known by the nickname Erap, is a Filipino politician and former actor, who served as the 13th president of the Philippines from 1998 until his resignation in 2001. ...

. Saguisag was one of Estrada's eleven

cabinet members This is a list of the offices of heads of state, heads of government, cabinet, and legislature, of sovereign states A sovereign state is a State (polity), state that has the highest authority over a territory. It is commonly understood th ...

who withdrew support for Estrada on January 19, 2001, following accusations of massive

corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...

by the president. Estrada was ousted from office the next day, which is now known in the Philippines as EDSA II. She also served as the secretary-general of the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines. Saguisag was the wife of a former Filipino Senator Rene Saguisag, who was in office from 1987 to 1992.

Early life

Dulce Saguisag was born Dulce Maramba Quintans on September 5, 1944. She is a descendant of Senator Daniel Maramba from

Pangasinan Pangasinan, officially the Province of Pangasinan (, ; ; ), is a coastal Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon. Its capital is Lingayen, Pangasinan, Lingayen while San Carlos, Pangasi ...

. She received a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

social work Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wo ...

from the

University of the Philippines Diliman The University of the Philippines Diliman (also called UPD; ), also referred to as UP Diliman, is a State university and college (Philippines), public, coeducational, Research university, research university located in Diliman, Quezon City, Ph ...

and placed third in the country in the 1964 National Board Examination for Social Workers. She initially began her career as in 1964 at the Social Welfare Administration, which is now called the

. She held a position of senior

social worker Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wo ...

at the SWA until 1965, when she became a supervising social worker and community center director. Saguisag left the Philippines for the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

in 1967 after winning a grant by the

US State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs o ...

to observe social work in the country. She was also recruited by the John F. Kennedy War on Poverty program while in the United States. Saguisag won a

scholarship A scholarship is a form of Student financial aid, financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, Multiculturalism, diversity and inclusion, athleti ...

Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private university, private Catholic Jesuits, Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus, a Catholic Religious order (Catholic), religious order, t ...

where she received a master's degree in social work, with an emphasis on

community organization Community organization or community based organization refers to organization aimed at making desired improvements to a community's social health, well-being, and overall functioning. Community organization occurs in geographically, psychosocially ...

and social planning, in 1969. She met her future husband, Rene Saguisag, a student at

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in continuous operation in the United ...

, while studying at Boston College. The couple had two daughters and three sons during their marriage. Her hobbies included collecting

angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...

and

Santa Claus Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Chris ...

figurine A figurine (a diminutive form of the word ''figure'') or statuette is a small, three-dimensional sculpture that represents a human, deity or animal, or, in practice, a pair or small group of them. Figurines have been made in many media, with cla ...

s and

ballroom dancing Ballroom dance is a set of European partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world, mostly because of its performance and entertainment aspects. Ballroom dancing is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and te ...

with her husband.

Career

Upon receiving her master's degree, Saguisag returned to the Philippines. She took a job with the

in 1971. She worked as a social welfare program specialist at the department before being promoted to assistant

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

of the Bureau of Family and Child Welfare. She left her position with the bureau in order to become dual director of

human resources Human resources (HR) is the set of people who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, industry, or economy. A narrower concept is human capital, the knowledge and skills which the individuals command. Similar terms include ' ...

development and director of

management Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a Government agency, government bodies through business administration, Nonprofit studies, nonprofit management, or the political s ...

training at the Development Academy of the Philippines in 1976. Saguisag once again left to take a new position, this time for an organization outside of the Filipino government. In 1984, she took a job with the Mondragon International Philippines, Inc. as a

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...

for

human resource development Training and development involves improving the effectiveness of organizations and the individuals and teams within them. Training may be viewed as being related to immediate changes in effectiveness via organized instruction, while development ...

. She stayed with the company until 1999. She was serving as Mondragon's vice chairperson and deputy

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

at the time of her departure.

Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development

Dulce Saguisag was appointed Secretary of the

(DSWD) by

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

in October 2000. Her appointment to Secretary of the DSWD followed the resignation of then

Vice President A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...

and DSWD Secretary

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal-Arroyo (; born April 5, 1947), often referred to as PGMA or GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician who served as the 14th president of the Philippines from Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 2001 to 2010 ...

. Arroyo had left the Estrada administration over the jueteng scandal which had plagued Estrada during his term. Saguisag accepted the Secretary position despite the objections of her husband, Rene Saguisag. He worried that the cabinet position would be too stressful to his wife, who had undergone successful

breast cancer Breast cancer is a cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a Breast lump, lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, Milk-rejection sign, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipp ...

surgery in 1997. Saguisag became one of eleven of Estrada's cabinet members who withdrew support for the embattled President on January 19, 2001. Her decision to withdraw her support for the President came after allegations of massive government corruption against Estrada. Estrada was ousted from office the next day on January 20, 2001, which is now known as EDSA II in the Philippines. (Dulce Saguisag's husband, Rene Saguisag, later became Estrada's

defense lawyer A criminal defense lawyer is a lawyer (mostly barristers) specializing in the defense of individuals and companies charged with criminal activity. Some criminal defense lawyers are privately retained, while others are employed by the various ...

Death

Dulce Saguisag was killed in a serious

car accident A traffic collision, also known as a motor vehicle collision, or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other moving or stationary obstruction, such as a tree, pole or building. T ...

on November 8, 2007, on

Osmeña Highway The President Sergio Osmeña Sr. Highway (often shortened as Osmeña Highway), also known as the South Superhighway, is a major highway that links Quirino Avenue in Paco, Manila, Paco, Manila to EDSA, Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) and ...

Makati Makati ( ; ), officially the City of Makati (), is a highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines, known for being one of the leading financial centers in the country. As of 2013, the city has the highest concent ...

, while on their way home to Palanan from one of their usual late-night ballroom dancing sessions at Byke's Cafe along Chino Roces Avenue. Her husband, Rene Saguisag, was seriously injured in the accident. Two other people riding in the same Toyota Grandia van as the Saguisags, including Filipino dance instructor, Rhea Imelda Obong, and driver, Felipe Calvario, were also seriously injured in the accident. All four were rushed to Ospital ng Makati 2 in Bel-Air, where Dulce Saguisag was pronounced dead from her injuries. The

Toyota is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is the List of manuf ...

that Ducle Saguisag was riding in, which was travelling on Pasay Road, was struck by a

dump truck A dump truck, known also as a dumping truck, dump lorry or dumper lorry or a dumper for short, is used for transporting materials (such as dirt, gravel, or demolition waste) for construction as well as coal. A typical dump truck is equipped ...

at the corner of the Osmeña Highway in Makati at about 2 A.M. The dump truck had reportedly been speeding when it ran a traffic light and struck the left side of the Saguisags' van, killing Dulce. Police arrested the driver of the dump truck at the scene of the accident. Dulce Saguisag's funeral was held on November 16, 2007. The service began with a two-hour

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...

at the

chapel A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their o ...

of St. Scholastica’s College in

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

, which Saguisag had attended. The funeral procession then passed Saguisag's "ancestral home" on Bigasan Street in Makati. Dulce Saguisag was buried in the Garden of Reverence section of the Manila Memorial Park cemetery in

Parañaque Parañaque, officially the City of Parañaque (, ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of ...

. Three hundred people attended her funeral. Prominent mourners included former Filipino Presidents

Corazon Aquino María Corazón "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipino politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines and the first woman president in the country, from Presidency of Corazon ...

and

Noli de Castro,

San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to: * San Juan, Puerto Rico * San Juan, Argentina * San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines San Juan may also refer to: Places Arge ...

Mayor

JV Ejercito Joseph Victor Gomez Ejercito (; born December 26, 1969), also known as JV Ejercito Estrada or simply JV Ejercito, is a Filipino politician and businessman serving as a Senate of the Philippines, Senator since 2022 and previously from 2013 to 20 ...

, and Gina de Venecia, the wife of the

Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives The speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines (), more popularly known as the House speaker, is the presiding officer and the highest-ranking official of the lower house of Congress of the Philippines, Congress, the House of R ...

Jose de Venecia. Senator Rene Saguisag was out of the ICU on November 28, or 20 days from the fatal accident. After a month, on December 8, 2007, he was released from the hospital, and needed some assistance to perform some tasks. He had lost weight. Their youngest daughter 16-year-old

gymnast Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, sh ...

Kaissa Saguisag's knee injury ended her quest for gold at the 24th

Southeast Asian Games The Southeast Asian Games, commonly known as SEA Games is a biennial multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia. The games are under the regulation of the Southeast Asian Games Federation with sup ...

References

External links

Philippine Daily Inquirer:Dulce Saguisag, 64

Philippine Daily Inquirer: Saguisag wife killed in road mishap
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saguisag, Dulce 1944 births 2007 deaths Secretaries of social welfare and development of the Philippines Boston College alumni University of the Philippines alumni Road incident deaths in the Philippines Women members of the Cabinet of the Philippines Burials at the Manila Memorial Park – Sucat Estrada administration cabinet members St. Scholastica's College Manila alumni