Martin 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 July 25, 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. His father was once named by Forbes as the 30th richest man in the Philippines with a net worth of ₱3.3 billion, which the Presidential Commission on Good Government claimed was ill-gotten. 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.