Antonio Ernesto "Anton" Floirendo Lagdameo Jr. (born January 22, 1968) is a Filipino politician and businessman serving as the

Special Assistant to the President The Executive Office of the President (EOP) comprises the offices and agencies that support the work of the president at the center of the executive branch of the United States federal government. The EOP consists of several offices and agenci ...

since June 2022 in President

Bongbong Marcos Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. ( , , ; born September 13, 1957), commonly referred to by the initials PBBM or BBM, is a Filipino politician who is the 17th and current president of the Philippines. He previously served as a senat ...

' administration. He was the

Representative Representative may refer to: Politics *Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people *House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities *Legislator, someon ...

of Davao del Norte's 2nd district from 2007 to 2016. He is married to actress

Dawn Zulueta Marie Rachel Salman Taleon-Lagdameo (born March 4, 1969), known professionally as Dawn Zulueta (), is a Filipino actress, host and commercial model. She was recognized as the only Filipino actor to win two different major accolades in acting cat ...

, and is a member of the wealthy Floirendo clan in Southern Mindanao. As a public servant, Lagdameo's main focus was on rural and agricultural development, social conservatism, education and lifelong learning, tourism and sustainable development. He is the largest individual donor to the 2022 presidential campaign of

, contributing more than ₱240 million to the campaign.

Early life and education

Lagdameo was born on January 22, 1968, in the then-municipality of Tagum,

Davao del Norte Davao del Norte ( ceb, Amihanang Dabaw; tl, Hilagang Davao), officially the Province of Davao del Norte, is a province in the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital and largest city is Tagum. The province also includes ...

to Antonio Manuel Lagdameo and Linda Floirendo. He is a grandson of "banana king" Antonio Floirendo Sr., one of Ferdinand Marcos' cronies. Being innately drawn to business, economics and trade, Lagdameo finished his Bachelor of Business Administration from the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

in 1989. In 2016, he was included in the prestigious Penn Notables list, a roster of alumni, faculty and trustees of the University of Pennsylvania who served outstandingly in foreign government. He continued his education in 1998 at the University of Asia and the Pacific, earning a master's degree in Business Economics.

Business career

Prior to his entry to politics as representative of the second district of Davao del Norte, he was a successful businessman. He was a credit analyst for Manufacturers Hanover Trust in Manhattan, New York from 1989 to 1992 and after that, of

National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank, commonly known as NatWest, is a major retail and commercial bank in the United Kingdom based in London, England. It was established in 1968 by the merger of National Provincial Bank and Westminster Bank. In 2000, it ...

in New York for a year. He then became Director of Cambrick Trading Ltd. in London from 1993 to 1996. He returned to the Philippines and served as the Vice President of Anflo Management & Investment Corp. in Davao from 1996 until 2007.

Political career

Lagdameo was also a member of the Commission on Appointments, an independent body separate and distinct from the Legislature, though composed of members of Congress that acts as a restraint against the abuse of the appointing power of the President by approving only those who are fit and qualified to ensure the efficient and harmonious functioning of the government. He is the current Special Assistant of President

Personal life

Lagdameo is married to actress

, with whom he has two children, Jacobo Antonio and Ayisha Madlen.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lagdameo, Antonio Jr. 1968 births Living people Bongbong Marcos administration cabinet members Lakas–CMD politicians Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Davao del Norte People from Davao City People from Tagum University of Asia and the Pacific alumni Visayan people Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania alumni