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

Special Assistant to the President Special or specials may refer to: Policing * Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force * Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer * Special police forces Mi ...

since June 2022 in President

Bongbong Marcos Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. (, , ; born September 13, 1957), commonly referred to by the initials BBM or PBBM, is a Filipino politician who has served as the 17th president of the Philippines since 2022. He is the second child ...

' administration. He was the Representative of Davao del Norte's 2nd district from 2007 to 2016. He is the son of the current Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations Antonio Manuel Lagdameo, is a member of the wealthy Floirendo clan in

Southern Mindanao Davao Region, formerly called Southern Mindanao (; ), is an administrative region in the Philippines, designated as Region XI. Situated at the southeastern portion of Mindanao, enclosing Davao Gulf, it comprises five provinces: Davao de Oro, ...

, and 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 ca ...

. As a public servant, Lagdameo's main focus was on rural and agricultural development,

social conservatism Social conservatism is a political philosophy and a variety of conservatism which places emphasis on Tradition#In political and religious discourse, traditional social structures over Cultural pluralism, social pluralism. Social conservatives ...

, 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 Tagum, officially the City of Tagum (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Davao del Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 296,202, making it the most po ...

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

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 A Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) is an undergraduate degree in business administration awarded by colleges and universities after completion of four years and typically 120 credits of undergraduate study in the fundamentals of busine ...

from the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

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 The University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P; ) is a private university in the Philippines. It traces its beginnings to the Center for Research and Communication (CRC), which was established on August 15, 1967, as a private think-tank that cond ...

, 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, trading 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 becam ...

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 alumni