Daniel Z. Romualdez

Daniel Zialcita Romualdez (September 11, 1907 – March 22, 1965) was a Filipino politician who served as Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from 1957 to 1962.

He was named after his paternal grandfather, Daniel Romualdez, of Pandacan, Manila and former owner of the Malacañang Gardens, the huge expanse of land dedicated to entertaining guests of the Philippine presidents. Another namesake is a first cousin once removed, Daniel Gomez Romualdez, the New York architect and son of former ambassador and governor Benjamin Trinidad Romualdez (brother of Imelda Marcos) and that of the son of Froilan Romualdez and Josefina Cerbo named Daniel Cerbo Romualdez.^[1]

Early life

Daniel "Danieling" Romualdez was born in Tolosa, Leyte. His father, Miguel, once served as an assemblyman for Leyte and mayor of the city of Manila.^[2] His great-grandfather was involved in the Sumoroy Revolt but narrowly escaped Spanish execution when he was allowed by David Dula to visit his ailing mother. Dula and his seven trusted men were later executed in Palapag, Northern Samar and were buried in unmarked graves without Roman Catholic rites. Superstitions existed that a Romualdez was to die that day in Palapag. More than fifty years later, Philippine Supreme Court Associate Justice Norberto Romuáldez, Danieling's famous uncle and the man who made their surname distinguished in society, would suddenly die of a heart attack in Palapag, hometown of his second wife Beatriz, daughter of the parish priest Fray Salustiano Buz, who insisted on campaigning at the grassroots level for the Philippine Senate elections when he was almost guaranteed to win on account of his nationwide reputation.

Romualdez enrolled at the University of Santo Tomas in Sampaloc, Manila. He obtained his law degree in 1931.

Family

His father was Don Miguel Lopez Romualdez, the Mayor of Manila during World War 2 who was known to ride his chauffeur-driven American car in the streets honking at the Japanese soldiers and Korean stevedores who would immediately part away like Moses splitting the Red Sea. Don Miguel was the most prosperous Romualdez during his lifetime. So eager for wealth was he that he amassed Japanese currency notes in the staggering millions thinking it would increase in value. After the Liberation of Manila and Japan's defeat, Don Miguel's money became worthless. He suffered a heart attack.

Danieling's father was the second of the three sons of Trinidad "Tidad" Lopez, eldest daughter of Spanish friar, Don Francisco Lopez of Granada, Spain (later of Burauen, Leyte), and Daniel Romualdez of Pandacan, Manila, a tuberculosis survivor and Cabeza de Barangay.

Danieling's mother was Brigida Zialcita of Manila.

Danieling, a Spanish mestizo, like his uncle Dean Vicente Orestes Romualdez y Lopez (father of Imelda Marcos) and current Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez, inherited their Spanish friar ancestor's Castillian skin.

His siblings include Attorney Estela Zialcita Romualdez Sulit married to Mariano Sulit, Miguel Zialcita Romualdez Jr. married to Cecilia Planas (distantly related to Rosario Planas), Alberto Zialcita Romualdez married to the Spanish mestiza Covadonga del Gallego of Paco, Manila (their son is former Department of Health Secretary Alberto G. Romualdez), Amelia Zialcita Romualdez Janairo married to Maximiano Janairo, Froilan Zialcita Romualdez married to Josefina Cervo and Philippine Central Bank Governor Eduardo Romualdez married to Concepcion Veloso, popularly nicknamed Conchita, who also hailed from a powerful Leyte political family.

Danieling was married to Paz or "Pacing" Gueco of Magalang, Pampanga, member of the Kahirup, supporter of fashion designer Ramon Valera, an aunt of Benigno Aquino Jr. from nearby Concepcion, Tarlac, and heiress to vast tracts of ricelands from her industrious Chinese-Filipino Gueco clan. He has four daughters.

Seeing the potential of his cousin Imelda, who was by then the undisputed Rose of Tacloban title holder and was renowned throughout the provinces for her singing voice, Danieling and other cousin Loreto Romualdez Ramos brought Imelda to Manila who in ten years would be First Lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos. Before that, Pacing Gueco would ask her nephew Benigno Aquino Jr. (Ninoy) to escort her husband's first cousin Imelda in the taxicab on her way home from her job at the Escolta and at the Central Bank of the Philippines. (Ninoy and Imelda first met during a Gueco family picnic on the Parua river which straddles Magalang to the south and Concepcion to the north).

His old home along Dapitan Street Extension, Quezon City was a regular meeting place of the Nacionalista Party of which the Romualdezes were original members.

Political career

Romualdez first entered politics in 1949 when he was elected to represent the Fourth District of Leyte in the House of Representatives. A member of the Nacionalista Party, Romualdez was re-elected in 1953 and 1957. In 1961, Romualdez was elected Representative of the First District of Leyte.

During the 3rd Congress of the Philippines, Romualdez served as Speaker Pro-Tempore. After House Speaker Jose Laurel, Jr. vacated his congressional seat in 1957 following an unsuccessful bid for the Vice-Presidency, Romualdez replaced him as Speaker upon the opening of the 4th Congress in 1957. Romualdez served as Speaker until March 1962, when his Nacionalista Party ceded its congressional majority to the Liberal Party. Cornelio Villareal succeeded him as Speaker. Romualdez assumed the post of Minority Floor Leader, in which capacity he was serving upon his death in office from a heart attack in 1965. Within months, his beloved first cousin Imelda Marcos would become First Lady of the country beginning a 21-year rule with husband President Ferdinand Marcos.^[3]

Notes

References

• Paras, Corazon L.; La Vina, Dean Karlo B. (1996). The Speakers of the Philippine Legislative Branch. House of Representatives of the Philippines. pp. 111–112. ISBN 971-92100-0-1. 

Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos
10th President of the Philippines and 10th First Lady of the Philippines
Family	Josefa Edralin & Mariano Marcos and Remedios Trinidad & Vicente Lopez-Romualdez (parents) Imee, Bongbong, Irene & Aimee (children) Pacifico Marcos, Pio Marcos and Quirino Lizardo (relatives)
Education	University of the Philippines & U.P. College of Law (Ferdinand) Divine Word University of Tacloban & University of Santo Tomas (Imelda)
Political career	Pi Gamma Mu Nacionalista Party 2nd district of Ilocos Norte (1949–1959) President of the Senate of the Philippines Kilusang Bagong Lipunan
Presidency (1965–1986)	Vietnam War Moro conflict Sabah claim Operation Merdeka and Jabidah massacre Establishment of the MNLF Manili massacre 1976 Tripoli Agreement Communist Party of the Philippines New People's Army CPP-NPA-NDF rebellion First Quarter Storm Plaza Miranda bombing Proclamation No. 1081 Conjugal dictatorship Rolex 12 1973 constitution Miss Universe 1974 Green Revolution Thrilla in Manila Assassination of Ninoy Aquino Binondo Central Bank NAMFREL People Power Revolution
Post-presidency	1st district of Leyte (1995–1998) Here Lies Love Operation Big Bird Marcos scandals Burial
Elections	1949 1963 1965 1967 1969 1970 1971 1973 (Jan) 1973 (Jul) 1975 (KB) 1975 (SB) 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 (SP) 1980 (KB) 1981 (Apr) 1981 (Jun) 1982 (B) 1984 parliamentary 1984 plebiscite 1986 1992 1995 1998 2010 2013 2016
Contributions	Bataan Nuclear Power Plant Batasang Pambansa Coconut Palace Cultural Center of the Philippines Project Gintong Alay Heart Center Lung Center Manila Film Center Masjid Al-Dahab North Luzon Expressway Palace in the Sky Philippine International Convention Center
Predecessor: Diosdado Macapagal, 9th President of the Philippines Successor: Corazon Aquino, 11th President of the Philippines