Preceded by Delia Albert Preceded by Jose Pardo Role Statesman Succeeded by Albert del Rosario | Preceded by Renato de Villa Name Alberto Romulo Political party Independent politician | |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Benigno Aquino III President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Education Manuel L. Quezon University, De La Salle University, Complutense University of Madrid | ||
Statesmen's Forum: Alberto Romulo, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines
Alberto Gatmaitan Romulo (born August 7, 1933) is a Filipino statesman, diplomat, and politician. He served in the Philippine in various capacities as Executive Secretary, Finance Secretary, Foreign Affairs Secretary, and Budget Secretary. His most recent stint is his leadership of the Department of Foreign Affairs before and during the early period of the administration of President Benigno Aquino III.
Romulo was born in Camiling, Tarlac from Pangasinan and Tagalog parents. He was then elected as member of the Regular Batasang Pambansa representing Quezon City in 1984. He then joined government service as the interim Minister of the Budget of President Corazon Aquino during the transition period following the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution. He was a senator from 1987 to 1998, during which time he served as Majority Leader for five years. As Majority Leader, he greatly helped then Senate President Neptali Gonzales, Sr. in running the plenary sessions of the Senate and in executing its legislative mill.
He became Finance Secretary in January 2001, having been appointed when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo took office and formed her own cabinet. He left this position in May 2001; Romulo was later appointed as an Executive Secretary. On August 18, 2004, he was appointed Foreign Secretary, and which he would hold until February 25, 2011. He served as Chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN in 2007.