First Spouse of the Philippines

First Spouse of the Philippines
Flag of the Philippines
Incumbent Vacant since 30 June 2010
Residence	Malacañan Palace
Inaugural holder	Hilaria del Rosario-Aguinaldo
Formation	January 23, 1899

The First Lady / Gentlemen of the Philippines (Tagalog: Unang Ginoo / Ginang ng Pilipinas), sometimes in (Spanish: Primera Dama / Primer Caballero de Filipinas) is the unofficial title of the hostess/host of the Malacañan Palace, the residence of the Philippine head of state. This position is traditionally occupied by the wife or husband of the President of the Philippines, and as such the title is sometimes exclusively for the spouse of the incumbent.

Terminology

The consort of the Philippine President is, as in other countries, conventionally styled in English as the First Lady (Filipino: Unang Ginang). As Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo took office as the second female President, the male form First Gentleman (abbreviated FG; Filipino: Unang Ginoó) was used for her husband, Miguel Arroyo. This is perhaps one reason for the gender-neutral title of First Spouse, although of note is that many native nouns in most Philippine languages have no grammatical gender (such as translations for husband, wife or spouse).

Role

The position of First Spouse is not an elected position, carries no official duties, and has no personal remuneration. Nonetheless, the officeholder participates in humanitarian and charitable work on behalf of the President. Furthermore, many have taken an active role in campaigning for their spouse 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 during their 21-year stay in the Palace. She is also the first First Lady to enter the world of Philippine politics by winning a seat in the Interim Batasang Pambansa in 1978.

In 2001, physician Luisa Estrada became the first former First Lady to win a seat in Senate.

The wife or husband of the Vice President of the Philippines is sometimes referred to as the Second Spouse of the Philippines; actual use of this title, however, is rare.

List of First Spouses of the Philippines

#		First Lady/Gentleman	Relation to President	Government	Start	End
1		Hilaria del Rosario-Aguinaldo	first wife of Emilio Aguinaldo (officially recognized as the first President)	First Philippine Republic (1899–1901)	January 23, 1899	April 1, 1901
2		Aurora Aragón-Quezon	wife of Manuel L. Quezon	Commonwealth of the Philippines (1935–1946)	November 15, 1935	August 1, 1944
3		Pacencia Hidalgo-Laurel	wife of José P. Laurel	Second Philippine Republic (1943–1945)	October 14, 1943	August 14, 1945
4	100px	Esperanza Limjap-Osmeña	wife of Sergio Osmeña	Commonwealth of the Philippines (1935–1946)	August 1, 1944	May 28, 1946
5		Trinidád de León-Roxas	wife of Manuel Roxas	Third Philippine Republic (1946–1972)	May 28, 1946	April 15, 1948
6		Victoria Quirino-Delgado	daughter of widower Elpidio Quirino		April 17, 1948	December 30, 1953
7		Luz Banzon-Magsaysay	wife of Ramon Magsaysay		December 30, 1953	March 17, 1957
8		Leonila Dimataga-García	wife of Carlos P. Garcia		March 23, 1957	December 30, 1961
9		Evangelina Macaraeg-Macapagal	wife of Diosdado Macapagal		December 30, 1961	December 30, 1965
10		Imelda Romualdéz-Marcos	wife of Ferdinand E. Marcos		December 30, 1965	February 25, 1986
				Philippines under Martial Law (1972–1981)
				Fourth Philippine Republic (1981–1987)
Vacant, as Corazón C. Aquino was a widow.					February 25, 1986	June 30, 1992
11		Amelita Martinéz-Ramos	wife of Fidel V. Ramos	Fifth Philippine Republic (1987–present)	June 30, 1992	June 30, 1998
12		Luísa Pimentel-Estrada	wife of Joseph Ejercito Estrada		June 30, 1998	January 20, 2001
13		José Miguel Tuason Arroyo	husband of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo		January 20, 2001	June 30, 2010
Vacant, as Benigno S. Aquino III is unmarried.					June 30, 2010	Incumbent

Notes

• Corazón Aquino was married to Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr., whose assassination on 21 August 1983 was a key factor in her 1986 rise to the presidency. Her eldest daughter, Ma. Elena "Ballsy" Aquino-Cruz, served as her mother's proxy in some social functions and accompanied her on state visits. In a similar fashion to Victoria Quirino-Delgado, Aquino-Cruz was informally styled "First Lady". But her only son. Benigno III (also become Philippine President) is a de facto first gentleman.
• As Benigno Aquino III is unmarried, his sisters (including Aquino-Cruz above), unofficially perform some of the various duties normally expected of a First Spouse. His relationships while in office to date were Valenzuela City Councilor Shalani Soledad ^[1], his personal stylist Liz Uy, and television presenter/DJ Grace Lee.

See also

• Second Spouse of the Philippines
• First Lady