By Michael Bueza
Source : Rappler.com
(2nd UPDATE) After the ouster of Marcos via People Power in 1986, some of his Cabinet officials remained in the political scene, while others started or continued their business careers. 22 Cabinet members are still alive
MANILA, Philippines (2nd UPDATE) – On Sept 21, 1972 – 41 years ago – former president Ferdinand Marcos appeared on national television and announced, “I signed Proclamation No. 1081 placing the entire Philippines under Martial Law.”
His declaration caused enough fear and uncertainty.
A few days later, the vice presidency and both houses of Congress were abolished in favor of a one-man rule by Marcos. He, however, retained his Cabinet, consisting of the men and women who would assist the dictator in his plans for a “New Society.”
In 1978, with the shift to a parliamentary system, all Cabinet departments became ministries, as part of the newly-christened Interim Batasang Pambansa (IBP), a unicameral Congress. (It became the Regular Batasang Pambansa in 1984.)
Some elected assemblymen were named ministers, while others were appointed by Marcos himself.
From the start of his term in 1965 up to his ouster in 1986 through a People Power uprising, Marcos worked with 77 Cabinet secretaries and ministers. After People Power, some of these officials remained in the political scene, while others started or continued their business careers.
Here are some other facts about the Cabinet members of Marcos.
20 | number of years Ferdinand Marcos was President (December 1965 to February 1986) |
77 | Cabinet secretaries and ministers |
34 | total number of Cabinet departments/ministries (counting re-organized ones) |
3 – number of women appointed to the Cabinet by Marcos |
- Estefania Aldaba-Lim Secretary, Social Services
- Imelda Marcos Minister, Human Settlements
- Sylvia Montes Minister, Social Services and Development
President Marcos held a Cabinet post himself, in concurrent capacity: as Defense Secretary (1965-67 and 1971-72)
Longest-serving Cabinet members under Marcos
- Juan Ponce Enrile 20 years 3 Cabinet portfolios: Finance, Justice and National Defense
- Carlos P. Romulo 18 years 2 Cabinet portfolios: Education and Foreign Affairs
- Blas Ople 1 8 years 1 Cabinet portfolio: Labor
- Cesar Virata 16 years 1 Cabinet portfolio: Finance
22 – Marcos Cabinet members who are still alive (as of this posting)

(L-R) David Consunji, Simeon Datumanong, Rodolfo del Rosario and Juan Ponce Enrile

(L-R) Rene Espina, Emil Q. Javier and Jaime Laya

(L-R) Ernesto Maceda, Placido Mapa Jr, Imelda Marcos and Estelito Mendoza

(L-R) Roberto Ongpin, Vicente Paterno, Teodoro Peña and Ricardo Puno

(L-R) Gerardo Sicat, Francisco Tatad, Luis Villafuerte Sr and Cesar Virata
Not pictured: Manuel Alba, Emilio Espinosa Jr, and Vicente Valdepeñas Jr
6 – elected to the Senate after 1986 |
Top row, L-R
|
Bottom row, L-R
- Blas Ople (1992-2002)
- Juan Ponce Enrile
(1987-92, 1995-2001, 2004-16) - Ernesto Maceda(1992-98)
10 – elected to the House of Representatives after 1986
Top row, L-R
|
Bottom row, L-R
|
6 – reappointed to the Cabinet after 1986
Top row, L-R
- Simeon Datumanong (DPWH and DOJ), by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
- Salvador Escudero III
(DA), by Fidel Ramos - Catalino Macaraig, Jr. (Executive Secretary), by Corazon Aquino
Bottom row, L-R
- Blas Ople (DFA), by
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo - Juan Ponce Enrile (DND), by Corazon Aquino
- Ernesto Maceda (DENR),
by Corazon Aquino
3 – elected as governors after 1986 |
|
13 – became or continued as business executives after 1986
- Manuel Collantes † – United Pulp and Paper Company, Inc.
- David Consunji – DMCI Holdings, Inc.
- Catalino Macaraig, Jr. † – Lepanto Consolidated Mining Co.
- Jaime Laya – GMA Network, Philtrust Bank, Ayala Land, Calata Corp.
- Fernando Lopez † – ABS-CBN, First Philippine Holdings
- Placido Mapa, Jr. – Metrobank Foundation
- Estelito Mendoza – Philippine Airlines, PNB, Petron, Meralco, San Miguel Corp.
- Roberto Ongpin – Alphaland Corporation
- Vicente Paterno – Philippine Seven Holdings Corp. (7-Eleven)
- Teodoro Pena (retired) – RCBC, EEI Corp.
- Eduardo Romualdez † – Philippine Airlines
- Cesar E.A. Virata – RCBC
- Vicente Valdepeñas, Jr. – Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company (Metrobank)
† – deceased
The complete list
Department / Ministry / Office | Secretary / Minister | Term |
Executive Secretary (up to 1975) Presidential Executive Assistant (1975-86) |
Rafael Salas | 1966-69 |
Ernesto Maceda | 1969-70 | |
Alejandro Melchor, Jr. | 1970-74 | |
Ponciano Mathay | 1974-75 | |
Jacobo Clave | 1975-79 | |
Juan Tuvera | 1979-86 | |
Agrarian Reform | Conrado Estrella, Sr. | 1971-86 |
Agriculture and Natural Resources (up to 1974) Agriculture (1974-86) |
Fernando Lopez | 1965-71 |
Arturo Tanco, Jr. | 1971-84 | |
Salvador Escudero III | 1984-86 | |
Budget (1978-81) Office of Budget and Management (1981- 86) |
Jaime Laya | 1978-81 |
Manuel Alba | 1981-86 | |
Commerce and Industry (up to 1972) Tourism and Trade (1972-74) |
Marcelo Balatbat | 1965-68 |
Leonides Virata | 1969-70 | |
Ernesto Maceda | 1970-71 | |
Troadio Quiazon, Jr. | 1971-74 | |
Education (up to 1975) Education and Culture (1975-84) Education, Culture and Sports (1984-86) |
Carlos P. Romulo | 1965-67 |
Onofre Corpuz | 1967-71, 1979-84 | |
Juan Manuel | 1971-79 | |
Jaime Laya | 1984-86 | |
Energy | Geronimo Velasco | 1978-86 |
Finance | Juan Ponce Enrile (acting) | 1965-68 |
Eduardo Romualdez | 1968-70 | |
Cesar Virata | 1970-86 | |
Foreign Affairs | Narciso Ramos | 1965-68 |
Carlos P. Romulo | 1968-84 | |
Manuel Collantes (acting) | 1984 | |
Arturo Tolentino | 1984-85 | |
Pacifico Castro (acting) | 1985-86 | |
Health | Paulino Garcia | 1965-68 |
Amadeo Cruz | 1968-71 | |
Clemente Gatmaitan | 1971-79 | |
Enrique Garcia | 1979-81 | |
Jesus Azurin | 1981-86 | |
Human Settlements | Imelda Marcos | 1981-86 |
Industry | Vicente Paterno | 1974-79 |
Roberto Ongpin | 1979-81 | |
Justice | Jose Yulo | 1966-67 |
Claudio Teehankee, Sr. | 1967-68 | |
Juan Ponce Enrile | 1968-70 | |
Felix Makasiar | 1970 | |
Vicente Abad Santos | 1970-79 | |
Catalino Macaraig, Jr. | 1979 | |
Ricardo Puno | 1979-84 | |
Estelito Mendoza | 1984-86 | |
Labor | Emilio Espinosa, Jr. | 1965-67 |
Blas Ople | 1967-71, 1972-86 | |
Adrian Cristobal | 1971-72 | |
Local Government and Community Development (1972- 82) Local Government (1982-86) |
Jose Roño, Jr. | 1972-86 |
Muslim Affairs | Romulo Espaldon | 1981-84 |
Muslim Affairs and Cultural Communities | Simeon Datumanong | 1984-86 |
National Defense | Ferdinand Marcos | 1965-67, 1971-72 |
Ernesto Mata | 1967-70 | |
Juan Ponce Enrile | 1970-71, 1972-86 | |
Natural Resources | Jose Leido, Jr. | 1974-81 |
Teodoro Peña | 1981-84 | |
Rodolfo del Rosario | 1984-86 | |
Public Information | Francisco Tatad | 1969-80 |
Gregorio Cendaña | 1980-86 | |
Public Works, Transportation and Communications (split into 2 in 1979) |
Antonio Raquiza | 1966-68 |
Rene Espina | 1968-69 | |
Manuel Syquio | 1969-70 | |
David Consunji | 1971-75 | |
Alfredo Juinio | 1975-79 | |
Public Highways | Baltazar Aquino | 1975-79 |
Vicente Paterno | 1979-80 | |
Public Works | Alfredo Juinio | 1979-80 |
Public Works and Highways | Jesus Hipolito | 1980-86 |
Social Welfare (1968-76) Social Services and Development (1976-86) |
Gregorio Feliciano | 1968-71 |
Estefania Aldaba-Lim | 1971-77 | |
Nathaniel Tablante | 1977-78 | |
Sylvia Montes | 1978-86 | |
Tourism | Jose Aspiras | 1973-86 |
Trade | Troadio Quiazon, Jr. | 1975-79 |
Luis Villafuerte, Sr. | 1979-81 | |
Trade and Industry | Roberto Ongpin | 1981-86 |
Transportation and Communications | Jose Dans, Jr. | 1979-86 |
National Economic Council (up to 1973) National Economic and Development Authority (since 1973) |
Alfonso Calalang | 1967 |
Eduardo Romualdez (acting) | 1968 | |
Gerardo Sicat | 1970-81 | |
Placido Mapa, Jr. | 1981-83 | |
Cesar Virata | 1983-84 | |
Vicente Valdepeñas, Jr. | 1984-86 | |
National Science and Development Board (up to 1982) National Science and Technology Authority (1982-86) |
Melecio Magno | 1976-81 |
Emil Javier | 1981-86 | |
Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs | Leonardo Perez | 1981-84 |
Presidential Assistant on National Minorities | Manuel Elizalde, Jr. | 1978-84 |
Solicitor-General | Antonio Barredo | 1966-68 |
Felix Makasiar | 1968-70 | |
Felix Antonio | 1970-72 | |
Estelito Mendoza | 1972-86 |
Ed’s note: We earlier stated that Hilarion Henares Jr. was part of the Marcos Cabinet as National Economic Council (NEC) chairman. It was, in fact, Alfonso Calalang. Henares was NEC chairman during the Macapagal administration. We regret the error.