Martin Romualdez

Ferdinand Martin Gomez Romualdez (born November 14, 1963), known professionally as Martin Romualdez, is a Filipino politician. He was a three-term Representative of the 1st District of Leyte. Barred from seeking reelection, he ran for Senator of the Philippines but lost in the 2016 national elections.^[1] Romualdez owns newspaper companies such as The Standard (formerly Manila Standard, bought from the Razon family in 2010) and the Journal Group of Publications.^[2] He is also the National President of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats political party.^[3]

Romualdez is also the author of the House Bill No. 1039, which enacted into law by President Benigno Aquino III as Republic Act No. 10754 or an act on expanding the benefits & privileges of people with disabilities.^[4]

Early life

He is the third child of former Governor and Ambassador Benjamin Romualdez and Juliet Gomez-Romualdez. He is currently serving his third term in office and is also, concurrently, the President of the Philippine Constitution Association, otherwise known as the PHILCONSA. Martin Romualdez holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Cornell University,^[5] and three years later, in 1988, a Certificate of Special Studies in Administration and Management from Harvard University. In 1992, meanwhile, he earned his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of the Philippines.

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.

2016 elections

As early as April 2014, Romualdez has expressed his interest to run as Senator in the 2016 elections.^[6] He filed his certificate of candidacy for Senator on October 13, 2015.^[1] He will run under the Lakas-CMD party, of which he is the current national president.

In an event commemorating the 2nd 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.^[7] Aside from Binay, Davao City Mayor and presidential aspirant Rodrigo Duterte also endorsed the candidacy of Romualdez.^[8]

Personal life

Romualdez (left) with his wife Yedda Marie Kittilstvedt-Romualdez.

Martin Romualdez is married to Yedda Marie M. Kittilstvedt. 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 (2007) and Maddey (2015).

References