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" Romualdez is an important Filipino journalist, publisher, and businessman. He is currently the Ambassador of the Philippines to the United States. This means he represents the Philippines in the U.S. Before this, he was a Special Envoy for President Rodrigo Duterte.
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Early Life and Education
Jose Manuel Romualdez was born on November 8, 1947, in Manila, Philippines. His father, Alberto Romualdez Sr., was a former secretary general of the World Medical Association. This is a group that works to improve health care around the world. His mother, Covadonga del Gallego, was a professor at the University of Santo Tomas Hospital.
Babe Romualdez has two brothers. One is Alberto Romualdez Jr., who used to be the Secretary of Health in the Philippines. His other brother, Johnny Romualdez, was a footballer. He is also related to famous people like former First Lady Imelda Marcos. Her children, Imee, Bongbong, Irene, and Aimee, are his second cousins.
On his mother's side, his grandfather, Don Juan del Gallego, was a Spanish explorer. He founded the town of Del Gallego, Camarines Sur. His uncle, Manuel del Gallego, was a governor in the 1940s. He is also related to actress Heart Evangelista.
Romualdez went to school at Ateneo de Manila University from 1954 to 1965. 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-boy.
He returned to the Philippines in 1966. He then attended De La Salle College. In 1970, he earned a degree in Business Administration.
Career Highlights
After finishing college, Romualdez started working in television. He was a newscaster and then an anchor for "NewsWatch." This was a TV news program in the Philippines. He eventually became a top executive at the TV station.
He helped organize media events for important leaders. For example, he worked on visits to the United States for Vice President Salvador Laurel and President Joseph Estrada. He also joined business groups that traveled with presidents Ramos, Aquino III, and Duterte.
In 2007, he became the president of the Manila Overseas Press Club (MOPC). This is a group for journalists. He later became its chairman and is now the vice chairman.
Romualdez has held many other important roles. He was a vice president of the Rotary Club of Manila. He also led the Philippine offices of several big international companies. From 2016 to 2017, he was the honorary consul for Luxembourg in the Philippines. This means he represented Luxembourg's interests in the country.
He was also the President and CEO of Stargate Media Corp. This company publishes PEOPLE Asia magazine, where Romualdez was the publisher. He also writes a regular column for The Philippine Star newspaper.
Becoming Ambassador to the United States
In 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Romualdez as his Special Envoy to the United States. This role meant he was a special representative for the President. Later, President Duterte asked him to become the Ambassador to the United States. Romualdez initially declined due to a planned eye surgery.
However, on July 24, 2017, he was officially nominated for the ambassador role. The Commission on Appointments approved his nomination on August 23, 2017. He officially took his oath on August 29. On November 29, he presented his "credentials" to U.S. President Donald Trump. Presenting credentials is a formal step where an ambassador officially begins their job.
Romualdez is the third person from the Romualdez family to be the Ambassador to the United States. His uncles, Eduardo Romualdez and Benjamin Romualdez, also held this important position.
As ambassador, Romualdez helped bring the Balangiga bells back to the Philippines. These bells were taken during a conflict many years ago. He was part of the official ceremony when the bells were returned in November 2018. He was also there when they arrived back in the Philippines in December.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Romualdez played a key role in getting vaccines for the Philippines. He worked with the U.S. to secure doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. He also helped in talks to get Moderna, Janssen, and Novavax vaccines for the country.
In 2021, he also became the non-resident ambassador to several other countries. These included Saint Kitts and Nevis, Jamaica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. This means he represents the Philippines in these countries while still based in the U.S.
His term as ambassador was renewed under the administration of President Bongbong Marcos, who is his second cousin. He took his oath again on July 5, 2022, and his re-appointment was confirmed on August 31, 2022.
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 the Manila Golf and Country Club and the Manila Polo Club.
