Teresita Santiago Lazaro (born November 18, 1942) commonly known as Ningning Lazaro is a Filipina educator, businesswoman, and politician who served as the governor of

Laguna Laguna (Italian and Spanish for lagoon) may refer to: People * Abe Laguna (born 1992), American DJ known as Ookay * Andrés Laguna (1499–1559), Spanish physician, pharmacologist, and botanist * Ana Laguna (born 1955), Spanish-Swedish ballet d ...

from 2001 to 2010. Previously, she served as Vice Governor of the province from 1995 until 2001, member of the

Laguna Provincial Board The Laguna Provincial Board ( fil, Sangguniang Panlalawigan ng Laguna}) is the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (provincial legislature) of the Philippine province of Laguna. The members are elected via plurality-at-large voting: the province is divid ...

from the

2nd A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI). Second, Seconds or 2nd may also refer to: Mathematics * 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'') * Second of arc, an angular measurement unit ...

District from 1992 until 1995, Vice Mayor of

Calamba, Laguna Calamba, officially the City of Calamba ( fil, Lungsod ng Calamba), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city in the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Laguna (province), Laguna, Philippines. According ...

from 1988 until 1992, and the member of the Calamba Municipal Council from 1986 until 1988.

Political career

Lazaro started her career in public service from 1964 to 1974 as a public elementary school teacher in

Cabuyao Cabuyao, officially the City of Cabuyao ( fil, Lungsod ng Cabuyao), is a 1st class component city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 355,330 people. It used to be known as the "riche ...

and later in Calamba, her hometown. Her notable achievement in business became the prime factor in her appointment as municipal councilor of Calamba by President

Corazon C. Aquino Maria Corazon "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; ; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipina politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992. She was the most prominent figure of the 1986 People P ...

in 1986. This was followed by her election as Calamba's vice mayor in 1988 to 1992. “Shooting like a bright star” in the 1992 elections, she was voted overwhelmingly as member of the Provincial Board representing the 2nd district of Laguna, comprising the municipalities of Calamba, Los Baños,

Bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...

, and Cabuyao. With the death of the late Gov. Felicisimo T. San Luis in 1992, then Board Member Lazaro assumed the post of vice-governor since she topped the list of elected board members. In the 1995 elections, Vice Governor Lazaro teamed-up with then-Senator Jose D. Lina, Jr., who ran for governor. The tandem won unanimously and both were once again re-elected during the 1998 elections. When President

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 ...

appointed Governor Joey Lina in 2001 as secretary of the

Department of the Interior and Local Government The Department of the Interior and Local Government ( fil, Kagawaran ng Interyor at Pamahalaang Lokal), abbreviated as DILG, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for promoting peace and order, ensuring public saf ...

, Vice Governor Lazaro took on the responsibility of governing one of the nation's fastest growing provinces. She took her oath as Laguna's first female governor on January 30, 2001. She was formally elected governor of the province when the Comelec proclaimed her winner in the Laguna gubernatorial race during the May 2001 election where she won by a landslide, becoming the first lady chief executive of Laguna. This was followed by her re-election for her second term in 2004 and her last and final term in 2007. Her term as governor ended in 2010. She was succeeded by

E.R. Ejercito Emilio Ramon Pelayo Ejercito III (; born October 5, 1963), commonly known as E. R. Ejercito, is a Filipino actor and former governor of Laguna from 2010 until his removal in 2014. Prior to his election as governor, he served as mayor of Pagsanj ...

, nephew of former president

Joseph Estrada Joseph Ejercito Estrada, (; born Jose Marcelo Ejercito; April 19, 1937), also known by the nickname Erap, is a Filipino politician and former actor. He served as the 13th president of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, the 9th vice preside ...

. In the 2013 elections, she attempted a comeback to politics by running for representative of the 2nd district of Laguna. However, she lost to outgoing Calamba City Mayor Joaquin Chipeco, Jr.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lazaro, Teresita 1942 births Living people Lakas–CMD politicians People from Calamba, Laguna Governors of Laguna (province) Members of the Laguna Provincial Board Women provincial governors of the Philippines Filipino schoolteachers 20th-century Filipino educators