Daniel Z Romualdez

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. 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 20-year rule with husband President Ferdinand Marcos.