Ferdinand Martin Gomez Romualdez

Ferdinand Martin Gomez Romualdez (born November 14, 1963) is a Filipino businessman, lawyer and politician serving as the Speaker of the House of Representatives since 2022. He is also serving as the representative for the 1st district of Leyte since 2019 and previously from 2007 to 2016. He formerly served as the House Majority Leader from 2019 to 2022, and unsuccessfully ran for senator in the 2016 elections. He is a first cousin of President Bongbong Marcos.

Romualdez is the owner of the newspaper companies Manila Standard and Journal Group of Publications and the mass media firm Philippine Collective Media Corporation. He is the national president of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats political party.

Early life and education

Ferdinand Martin Gomez Romualdez is the third child of former Leyte Governor and Ambassador to the United States Benjamin Romualdez and Juliette Gomez-Romualdez. He is the nephew of former first lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos and former President Ferdinand Marcos, while incumbent President Bongbong and Senator Imee Marcos are his cousins.

Romualdez attended Cornell University in the United States from 1981 to 1985, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in government. In 1988, he earned a Certificate of Special Studies in Administration and Management from Harvard University. He later enrolled at the University of the Philippines College of Law in 1988, becoming a Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity member. He earned his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1992. He was admitted to the bar in 1993.

In 1992, Romualdez was appointed as concurrent trustee and president of the Doña Remedios Trinidad Romualdez Medical Foundation and Dr. Vicente Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation, both of which are owned by his family.

In 1995, he started work as a director and legal counsel for the CARPA Realty Development Corporation. Prior to his political career, Romualdez served as chairman of the board for Equitable PCI Bank.

House Speaker (2022–present)

Romualdez (right) during President Bongbong Marcos's first State of the Nation Address
Romualdez was elected in July 2022 as Speaker of the House of Representatives by 284 House members.During his speakership, Romualdez also assumed legislative caretaker roles for the majority of the vacated districts during the 19th Congress, such as Cavite–7th (later filled by Crispin Diego Remulla), Negros Oriental–3rd, Batangas–6th, Palawan–3rd, Palawan–1st, Cavite–4th, and Negros Occidental–3rd.

In November 2022, Romualdez, along with six other lawmakers, filed House Bill No. 6398 proposing the creation of the Maharlika Investment Fund, a sovereign wealth fund for the Philippines inspired by South Korea's Korea Investment Corporation. The proposal drew mixed reactions from economists and mostly negative reactions from the general public.