María Clara Rafols Lorenzo Lobregat (April 26, 1921 – January 2, 2004) was the first female mayor and also a representative to the
Philippine Congress
The Congress of the Philippines ( fil, Kongreso ng Pilipinas, italic=unset) is the legislature of the national government of the Philippines. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, although colloquially the te ...
of
Zamboanga City
Zamboanga City, officially the City of Zamboanga (Chavacano and es, Ciudad de Zamboanga, Tausug language, Tausūg: ''Dāira sin Sambuangan'', fil, Lungsod ng Zamboanga, ceb, Dakbayan sa Zamboanga), is a city in the Zamboanga Peninsula region ...
.
Early life
Lobregat or "" was born April 26, 1921, in the then-municipality of
Zamboanga, the second of five children of
Don Pablo Lorenzo
Don, don or DON and variants may refer to:
Places
*County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON
*Don (river), a river in European Russia
*Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name
*Don, Benin, a town in Benin
*Don, Dang, a vill ...
, who was the mayor of Zamboanga City from 1939 until 1940, a representative to the first
Philippine Assembly
The Philippine Assembly (sometimes called the Philippine National Assembly) was the lower house of the Philippine Legislature from 1907 to 1916, when it was renamed the House of Representatives of the Philippines. The Philippine Assembly wa ...
, and a delegate to the
Philippine Constitutional Convention, and Luisa Rafols of
Cebu City
Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Sugbo; fil, Lungsod ng Cebu; hil, Dakbanwa sang Sugbo), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas Regions of the P ...
. Lobregat grew up in the cities of Zamboanga,
Cebu
Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 ...
, and
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
. She spoke
Zamboangueño Chavacano,
Cebuano,
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
,
Tagalog, and
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
.
Education
Lobregat was educated at the Pilar College in Zamboanga City,
Maryknoll
Maryknoll is a name shared by a number of related Catholic organizations, including the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers (also known as the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America or the Maryknoll Society), the Maryknoll Sisters, and the Mary ...
and
St. Scholastica's College in
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
and is the recipient of an "honoris causa"—Doctor of Humanities from the
Ateneo de Davao University
, mottoeng = Strong in Faith
, type = Private Catholic Research Non-profit Coeducational Basic and Higher education institution
, established =
, founder = Society of Jesus
, religious ...
in 1979, Doctor in Business Administration from the
Aquinas University
Thomas Aquinas, OP (; it, Tommaso d'Aquino, lit=Thomas of Aquino; 1225 – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican friar and priest who was an influential philosopher, theologian and jurist in the tradition of scholasticism; he is known wit ...
in 1980, and Doctor in Educational Administration,
Western Mindanao State University
}) is a state university located in Zamboanga City, Philippines. It has two campuses: the main campus of 79,000 square metres and 9,147 square metres in the city proper, and the satellite campus of 200,000 square metres in San Ramon about 20 kil ...
.
Career
Lobregat was present in
Malacañan Palace on October 12, 1936, when President
Manuel L. Quezon
Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina, (; 19 August 1878 – 1 August 1944), also known by his initials MLQ, was a Filipino lawyer, statesman, soldier and politician who served as president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 until his dea ...
created and established the chartered city of Zamboanga through the Philippine Commonwealth.
Before 1971, Lobregat, mother of six, was president of the
Philippine Coconut Producers Federation (COCOFED).
Throughout her political career, Lobregat lost in only one election – in 1984 for the lone seat at the Batasang Pambansa. Allied with the Marcoses, she lost to Mayor
Cesar Climaco who did not assume his post as assemblyman.
With Marcos gone and the then opposition-turned-administration splitting into factions, Lobregat easily won as representative of the Lone District of
Zamboanga City
Zamboanga City, officially the City of Zamboanga (Chavacano and es, Ciudad de Zamboanga, Tausug language, Tausūg: ''Dāira sin Sambuangan'', fil, Lungsod ng Zamboanga, ceb, Dakbayan sa Zamboanga), is a city in the Zamboanga Peninsula region ...
in the 1987 legislative elections and was reelected in 1992 and 1995. She ran and won the mayoralty in 1998, was reelected in 2001 and was set to file her certificate of candidacy for a third term on January 5 this year. Her son Celso, has occupied the congressional seat she held from 1987 to 1998. Her nephew, Luis Lorenzo, Jr., was
Agriculture Secretary
The United States secretary of agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other governments.
The department includes several organi ...
under
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal Arroyo (, born April 5, 1947), often referred to by her initials GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician serving as one of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, House Deputy Spe ...
from 2002 to 2004.
Lobregat's net worth as of end of 2002, was P27.8 million, making her the richest Mindanao city mayor.
In her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) as of end of 2002, Lobregat listed 18 companies where she has "shareholdings" and listed as number 19, "other enterprises (resort and others)" where she also has "shareholdings."
Lobregat's business interests included banking, real estate, flower growing, mining, resort and resort development, recreation, petroleum, etc.
Lobregat, always seen in public wearing ''kimona'' and ''patadyong'', was among three female representatives who figured prominently in the protest actions against the creation of the Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development (SPCPD) in 1996. She, along with then South Cotabato representatives Luwalhati Antonino and Daisy Fuentes, were referred to by the media as “Tres Marias.”
Lobregat was a harsh critic of
Moro National Liberation Front
The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF; ar, الجبهة الوطنية لتحرير مورو) is a political organization in the Philippines that was founded in 1972. It started as a splinter group of the Muslim Independence Movement. The M ...
chair
Nur Misuari
Nur Misuari ( Tausug: ''Nūr Miswāri'', born Nurallaji Pinang Misuari; March 3, 1939) is a Moro Filipino revolutionary and politician, founder and leader of the Moro National Liberation Front.
Early and Personal life
Nur Misuari was born on ...
, insisted that the controversial coconut levy funds were private funds; campaigned against the inclusion of her city in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in the 1989 and 2001 plebiscite; ordered the Filipino deportees from Sabah in 2002 to be “screened” before entering her city, opposed the transfer of the regional seat from Zamboanga City to Pagadian City and was an avid supporter of the joint US-RP military exercise,
Balikatan
Exercise Balikatan is the most prominent annual military exercise between the Philippines and the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country ...
.
Personal life
Lobregat met her husband, Celso Lobregat in a volunteer work at the Remedios Hospital at
Malate, Manila
Malate is a district of Manila, Philippines. Together with the district of Ermita, it serves as Manila's center for commerce and tourism.
Etymology
The name ''Malate'' is believed to be derived from a corruption of the Tagalog word ''maalat'' ...
. They wed on January 30, 1945, and had six children.
Tragedy struck when her husband was killed in a plane crash in May 1968.
Her first son,
Celso Lobregat
Celso L. Lobregat, III (born March 20, 1948), is a Filipino politician having served as Zamboanga City's mayor and congressman.
Early life and career
Lobregat comes from a long line of landlord-politicians from Mindanao. His grandfather Pablo ...
, became representative to the former lone district of Zamboanga City in 1998 and later the Mayor of
Zamboanga City
Zamboanga City, officially the City of Zamboanga (Chavacano and es, Ciudad de Zamboanga, Tausug language, Tausūg: ''Dāira sin Sambuangan'', fil, Lungsod ng Zamboanga, ceb, Dakbayan sa Zamboanga), is a city in the Zamboanga Peninsula region ...
in 2004 until 2013.
Death
She died of cardiac arrest at 11:30 p.m. January 2, 2004, at the
Makati Medical Center
Makati Medical Center (MMC), also known as Makati Med, is a tertiary hospital in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines with more than 600 beds. The hospital was founded on May 31, 1969. The hospital is owned and operated by Medical Doctors Inc., a ...
. Her remains were brought in the Zamboanga Metropolitan Cathedral. Her remains were finally rested at the Manila Memorial Park. She was succeeded by Vice-Mayor
Erico Basilio Fabian
Erico Basilio Apolinario Fabian, locally known as Erbie Fabian, served in the Zamboanga City Council and served as vice mayor, mayor and a representative.
Birth and Education
Erbie, as he was fondly called, was born on September 12, 1957. His f ...
as Zamboanga City Mayor. Her son,
Celso L. Lobregat was elected City Mayor in the 2004 local elections.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lobregat, Maria
1921 births
2004 deaths
Cebuano people
People from Zamboanga City
Visayan people
Women members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines
Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Zamboanga City
Women mayors of places in the Philippines
Mayors of Zamboanga City
Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino politicians
Burials at the Manila Memorial Park – Sucat
20th-century Filipino women politicians
20th-century Filipino politicians