Residence Malacañang Palace | Formation 23 January 1899 | |
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Inaugural holder Hilaria del Rosario-Aguinaldo | ||
The First Lady or First Gentleman of the Philippines (Filipino: Unang Ginang/Ginoó ng Pilipinas) is the unofficial, customary title of the host or hostess of Malacañang Palace, the residence of the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The title is traditionally held by the consort of the President of the Philippines, and as such is sometimes exclusively used for a spouse of the incumbent.
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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 masculine form "First Gentleman" (abbreviated FG; Filipino: Unang Ginoó) was used for her husband, Miguel Arroyo.
This is perhaps one reason for the use of gender-neutral title of First Spouse, although of note also is that many indigenous nouns lack grammatical gender in many Philippine languages, compared to thousands of gendered loanwords from Spanish or English. The terms "husband" and "wife" are thus covered by genderless words for "spouse" (e.g. the Tagalog asawa, kabiyák); one exception is the Cebuano bana, "husband".
Role
The position of First Spouse is not an elected position, carries no official duties, and has no personal remuneration. Nonetheless, the title holder participates in humanitarian and charitable work on behalf of the President. Furthermore, many First Spouses have taken an active role in campaigning for the President 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 Ferdinand Marcos during his 21-year rule. 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 usage of this title, however, is rare.
Non-spouses who held the distinction
On few occasions, individuals who are not spouses of the incumbent president has perform tasks reserved for the First Spouse effectively rendering them as the de facto first spouse in selected occasions; most often they are a direct relative of the President. To date, only Elpidio Quirino, Corazon Aquino, and Benigno Aquino III had no First Spouse. In the case of Quirino. his First Lady was not his wife but his daughter since he was a widower.
Victoria Quirino-Gonzalez was the First Lady for her father, Elpidio Quirino. However Victoria is regarded as the first to be named with the role "First Lady". The spouses of the presidents, from Emilio Aquinaldo to Manuel Roxas, were not given the title during their respective husbands' terms.
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, María 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"; her brother, Benigno III (later President) was meanwhile considered First Gentleman.
During the 2015 APEC summit hosted in Manila, Benigno Aquino III's sister, Kris Aquino served as de facto First Lady for the occasion. Their other sisters, Ballsy Aquino-Cruz, Pinky Aquino-Abelleda, and Viel Aquino-Dee, also assisted the president in performing his duties. In the absence of a First Lady for Aquino, the Palace hired professionals to fulfill the roles usually reserved for the First Spouse, such as organizing state dinners.
Prior to his inauguration, incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte officially designated his daughter Sara as First Lady despite having Cielito Avanceña as his common-law wife. He was previously married to Elizabeth Zimmerman; their marriage was annulled in 2000.
However, then Mayor-elect Duterte declined the offer. Following the filing of newly-elected Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte of a 10-day leave of absence until June 22, there were speculations that she would assume the post of First Lady, but she neither denied or confirmed the speculation. Former Department of Interior and Local Government secretary Rafael Alunan has suggested Vice President Leni Robredo to serve as de facto First Lady.
Living former First Ladies or First Gentlemen
As of March 2017, there are four living former First Ladies or First Gentlemen. The most recent First Lady to die was Luz Magsaysay (1953-1957) on August 17, 2004.