Jose Manuel Romualdez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jose Manuel Romualdez
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Romualdez in 2019
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| Ambassador of the Philippines to the United States | |
| Assumed office August 29, 2017 |
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| President | Rodrigo Duterte Bongbong Marcos |
| Preceded by | Jose L. Cuisia Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jose Manuel del Gallego Romualdez
November 8, 1947 Manila, Philippines |
| Spouse | Maria Lourdes Marquez-Romualdez |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | De La Salle University (B.S.) |
| Occupation | Journalist, columnist, publisher, businessman |
Jose Manuel "Babe" del Gallego Romualdez (born November 8, 1947) is a Filipino journalist and businessman. He is currently the Ambassador of the Philippines to the United States. This means he represents the Philippines in the U.S. and helps keep a good relationship between the two countries. Before this, he was a special helper to President Rodrigo Duterte for matters with the United States.
Early Life and School
Jose Manuel Romualdez was born in Manila, Philippines, on November 8, 1947. His father, Alberto Romualdez Sr., was a doctor who worked for a big medical group. His mother, Covadonga del Gallego, was also a medical expert.
He has a brother, Alberto Romualdez Jr., who was once the Secretary of Health in the Philippines. He is also related to famous people like former First Lady Imelda Marcos. Her children, Imee, Bongbong, Irene, and Aimee, are his second cousins.
His family has a long history. His grandfather, Don Juan del Gallego, was a Spanish explorer. He founded the town of Del Gallego, Camarines Sur in the Philippines. His uncle, Manuel del Gallego, was a governor in the 1940s.
Babe Romualdez went to school at Ateneo de Manila University for grade school and high school. In 1965, his family moved to New York City. There, he studied at Forest Hills High School. While in New York, he worked part-time as a waiter and a grocery store helper.
He returned to the Philippines in 1966. He studied at De La Salle College. In 1970, he earned a degree in Business Administration.
Career Highlights
After college, Romualdez started working in television. He was a newscaster and then an anchor for a show called NewsWatch. He quickly moved up and became a top executive at the TV station.
He also helped Philippine presidents with their visits to the United States. He worked with presidents like Joseph Estrada, Fidel Ramos, Benigno Aquino III, and Rodrigo Duterte. He helped make sure their trips went smoothly.
Romualdez has held many important positions. He was the president of the Manila Overseas Press Club (MOPC). This is a group for journalists. He also led the Philippine offices of several big international companies. From 2016 to 2017, he was an honorary consul for Luxembourg in the Philippines.
He was also the President and CEO of Stargate Media Corp. This company publishes PEOPLE Asia magazine, where he was the publisher. He also writes a regular column for The Philippine Star newspaper.
Ambassador to the United States
In 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte asked Romualdez to be his Special Envoy to the United States. This meant he was a special representative. Later, President Duterte asked him to be the Ambassador to the U.S. Romualdez first said no because he needed eye surgery. But he was nominated again in July 2017.
He was officially confirmed as Ambassador on August 23, 2017. He presented his official papers to U.S. President Donald Trump in November 2017. He is the third person from his family to be the Ambassador to the U.S.
As Ambassador, Romualdez helped bring back the Balangiga bells to the Philippines. These bells were taken during a war long ago. He was there for the official ceremony when the bells were returned in 2018.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he worked to get vaccines for the Philippines. He helped with talks to get vaccines from companies like Pfizer, Moderna, Janssen, and Novavax.
He also serves as a non-resident ambassador to other countries. He has presented his credentials to leaders in Saint Kitts and Nevis, Jamaica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
His role as Ambassador to the United States was renewed in 2022. This happened under the administration of President Bongbong Marcos, who is his second cousin.
Personal Life
Jose Manuel Romualdez is married to Maria Lourdes Marquez-Romualdez. They have four children. He enjoys playing golf and is a member of several golf clubs.
