Feliciano Belmonte Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Feliciano R. Belmonte Jr.
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Belmonte in 2016
|
|
| 18th Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines | |
| In office July 26, 2010 – June 30, 2016 |
|
| Preceded by | Prospero Nograles |
| Succeeded by | Pantaleon Alvarez |
| In office January 24, 2001 – June 30, 2001 |
|
| Preceded by | Arnulfo Fuentebella |
| Succeeded by | Jose de Venecia Jr. |
| Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from Quezon City's 4th district | |
| In office June 30, 2010 – June 30, 2019 |
|
| Preceded by | Nanette Castelo-Daza |
| Succeeded by | Bong Suntay |
| In office June 30, 1992 – June 30, 2001 |
|
| Preceded by | Ismael A. Mathay Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Nanette Castelo-Daza |
| 9th Mayor of Quezon City | |
| In office June 30, 2001 – June 30, 2010 |
|
| Vice Mayor | Herbert Bautista |
| Preceded by | Ismael A. Mathay Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Herbert Bautista |
| President of the Government Services Insurance System | |
| In office 1986–1992 |
|
| Appointed by | Corazon C. Aquino |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Fernando Feliciano Racimo Belmonte Jr.
October 2, 1936 Tondo, Manila, Philippine Commonwealth |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Political party | Independent (2018-present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Liberal (2009-2018) Lakas–CMD (1992–2009) |
| Spouse |
Betty Go-Belmonte
(m. 1959; |
| Relations | Jose Christopher Belmonte (nephew) Dennis Belmonte (brother) |
| Children | 4 (including Joy) |
| Residence | Quezon City |
| Education | Lyceum of the Philippines University (LL.B) |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Fernando Feliciano "Sonny" Racimo Belmonte Jr. (born October 2, 1936) is a well-known Filipino politician. He served as the speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines twice. He was Speaker from January to June 2001 and again from 2010 to 2016. Mr. Belmonte also represented Quezon City's 4th congressional district as a Congressman. He held this role from 1992 to 2001 and from 2010 to 2016. In between his time in Congress, he was the ninth mayor of Quezon City.
Contents
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Feliciano Belmonte Jr. was born on October 2, 1936, in Tondo, Manila. His father was Judge Feliciano Belmonte Sr. He started school at age seven. He went to grade school in Baguio and finished high school at San Beda University in Manila.
He studied Law at the Lyceum of the Philippines University. While in law school, he worked as a reporter. He covered police news and events at the Philippine Commission on Elections.
Starting His Law Career
At 25, Belmonte became a lawyer. He passed the Philippine Bar Examination with a high score. He began working for the government as a staff assistant for President Diosdado Macapagal.
He also worked for the Commissioner of Customs. Later, he became an executive assistant at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. In 1986, President Corazon Aquino asked him to lead several government companies that were struggling.
He became the president of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS). He also led the Manila Hotel and was chairman of the National Reinsurance Corporation. He represented the government on the boards of San Miguel Corporation and Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT). He also became the president of Philippine Airlines.
Serving in the House of Representatives (1992–2001)
Belmonte was first elected to the House of Representatives of the Philippines. He represented Quezon City's 4th congressional district. He served three terms in a row, from 1992 to 2001.
He briefly became the Speaker of the House in 2001. He also served as the House Minority Leader. In his first two terms, he was the vice chairman of the Committee on Appropriations. This committee deals with how government money is spent.
Important Laws He Helped Pass
During his time as a Congressman, Belmonte wrote or helped write several important laws. These included:
- The General Appropriations Act, which sets the national budget.
- A law that created a dual system of education.
- The Act Creating the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
- The Salary Standardization Law, which set standard salaries for government workers.
He also worked to help government employees with lower salaries. He helped pass the Second Salary Standardization Law (SSL 2). This law fixed problems with the first salary law. He also supported the Personal Economic Relief Alliance (PERA) for low-paid government staff.
Becoming Speaker of the House (2001)
Belmonte became very well-known when he led the team that tried to remove President Joseph Estrada from office. This was called an impeachment trial. On January 20, 2001, during the EDSA Revolution of 2001, President Estrada left the Malacañan Palace. Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo then became president.
A few days later, on January 24, Belmonte's allies in Congress got enough votes. They replaced the current Speaker, Arnulfo Fuentebella, with Belmonte.
Mayor of Quezon City (2001–2010)
In 2000, Belmonte announced he would run for mayor of Quezon City. He won the election in 2001. He was re-elected in 2004 and 2007. Herbert Bautista was his running mate (Vice Mayor) in all these elections.
As mayor, Belmonte managed Quezon City's money carefully for nine years. He worked to collect taxes better and made city services more efficient. Because of his efforts, Quezon City became known as a very competitive city in Metro Manila. It was ranked second in the whole Philippines by businessmen.
Quezon City was praised for its strong economy. It was also recognized for the good quality of life for its residents. The local government was also seen as very helpful to businesses and other needs.
In 2007, Quezon City was even ranked as the No. 7 "Asian City of the Future." This was based on a survey by the London Financial Times. In 2008, a report on global services ranked Quezon City as the 21st emerging global outsourcing city. This was the highest ranking for any new city on the list.
Belmonte was a long-time member of the Lakas–CMD party. In November 2009, he and Vice Mayor Bautista joined the Liberal Party.
Return to the House of Representatives (2010–2019)
.jpg)
After being mayor, Belmonte ran again for the House of Representatives. He won his fourth term. When the 15th Congress started, Belmonte was again elected as Speaker of the House. He won against Edcel Lagman with a large number of votes. He took over from Prospero Nograles.
Belmonte was re-elected as a representative in 2013 and 2016.
In 2016, Belmonte was re-elected for his third term as representative. However, he decided not to seek another term as Speaker for the new 17th Congress. Instead, he supported Pantaleon Alvarez for the position. Alvarez eventually became the new Speaker.
In 2018, Belmonte left the Liberal Party. He was planning to retire from politics when his term ended. Belmonte's term in Congress finished on June 30, 2019. Bong Suntay, who ran with Belmonte's daughter Joy, took his place.
Personal Life
Belmonte was a member of several groups, including the Manila Jaycees and the Rotary Club of Manila. He was also the World President of Junior Chamber International in 1976.
He married Betty Go-Belmonte in 1959. Betty Go-Belmonte (1934–1994) was the founder of The Philippine Star newspaper. They had four children: Isaac, Kevin, Miguel, and Joy.
His three sons have worked in editorial and management roles at The Philippine Star and its related publications. His daughter, Joy, has been the mayor of Quezon City since 2019. Belmonte also has a nephew, Kit, who served as a representative for Quezon City's 6th congressional district.
Images for kids
-
Belmonte in 2016
-
Belmonte at a miting de avace in 2010 during his term as mayor of Quezon City
-
Belmonte (top right) during President Benigno Aquino III's 2015 State of the Nation Address
-
Belmonte (left) meets with President Rodrigo Duterte (right) at Malacañang in 2016
