Martin Romualdez

Ferdinand Martin Gomez Romualdez was born on November 14, 1963, the third child of Benjamin "Kokoy" Romualdez and Juliette Gomez-Romualdez.[7][8][9] The Romualdezes are an influential and affluent family. His father, Benjamin, served as Governor of Leyte and Ambassador to the United States, and was also one of the richest men in the Philippines. His paternal aunt, Imelda Romualdez Marcos, is the former First Lady of the Philippines, and as such, former President Ferdinand Marcos was his uncle, while Bongbong and Imee Marcos are his cousins.[7][8]

Romualdez attended Cornell University in the United States from 1981 to 1985, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in government.[7][8][10] In 1988, he earned a Certificate of Special Studies in Administration and Management from Harvard University. He then enrolled at the University of the Philippines College of Law in 1988, where he became a brother of the Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity. He earned his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1992.[7][8][11]

Also in 1992, Romualdez started to serve as concurrent trustee and president of Doña Remedios Trinidad Romualdez Medical and Dr. Vicente Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation. In 1995, meanwhile, he started work as director and legal counsel for the CARPA Realty Development Corporation, and as trustee for Remedios Trinidad Romualdez Medical Foundation. He still holds both offices. Before his work in his family's foundations, he spent a considerable time in the banking field. He was Chairman of the Board for Equitable PCI Bank, as well as Director for several companies, among them Philippine Commercial International Bank, Equitable Card Network, EBC Investments, Inc., Equitable Savings Bank, PCI Leasing Corporation, and PCI Capital Corporation.

Romualdez (left) with his wife Yedda Marie Kittilstvedt-Romualdez.

Martin Romualdez is married to Yedda Marie M. Kittilstvedt. She is known as a staunch advocate of women's and children's rights issues. They have four children together: Andrew Julian (2000), Ferdinand Martin, Jr. (2001), Mariabella Gabrielle (2007) and Maddey (2015).