Fernando "Nanding"[1] Hofileña Lopez Sr. KGCR (April 13, 1904 – May 26, 1993) was a Filipino statesman. A member of the influential López family of Iloilo, he served as vice president of the Philippines under Presidents Elpidio Quirino from 1949 to 1953 under the Liberal Party and Ferdinand Marcos from 1965 to 1972, under the Nacionalista Party. He was also the chairman of ABS-CBN Corporation from 1986 to his death in 1993.
Fernando Lopez | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 3rd and 7th Vice President of the Philippines | |
| In office December 30, 1965 – September 23, 1972 | |
| President | Ferdinand Marcos |
| Preceded by | Emmanuel Pelaez |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished (Next held by Salvador Laurel) |
| In office December 30, 1949 – December 30, 1953 | |
| President | Elpidio Quirino |
| Preceded by | Elpidio Quirino |
| Succeeded by | Carlos P. Garcia |
| Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources | |
| In office December 30, 1965 – 1971 | |
| President | Ferdinand Marcos |
| Preceded by | Jose Feliciano |
| Succeeded by | Arturo Tanco Jr. |
| In office December 14, 1950 – 1953 | |
| President | Elpidio Quirino |
| Preceded by | Plácido Mapa |
| Succeeded by | Plácido Mapa |
| President pro tempore of the Senate of the Philippines | |
| In office January 27, 1958 – December 30, 1965 | |
| Preceded by | Manuel Briones |
| Succeeded by | Lorenzo Sumulong |
| Senator of the Philippines | |
| In office December 30, 1953 – December 30, 1965 | |
| In office December 30, 1947 – December 30, 1949 | |
| Mayor of Iloilo City | |
Acting | |
| In office September 26, 1945 – December 30, 1947 | |
| Appointed by | Sergio Osmeña |
| Preceded by | Mariano Benedicto |
| Succeeded by | Vicente Ybiernas |
| Chairman of ABS-CBN Corporation | |
| In office February 28, 1986 – May 26, 1993 | |
| Preceded by | Eugenio López Sr. |
| Succeeded by | Eugenio Lopez Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Fernando Hofileña Lopez April 13, 1904 Jaro, Iloilo, Philippines[a] |
| Died | May 26, 1993 (aged 89) Iloilo City, Philippines |
| Political party | Nacionalista (1945–1946; 1957–1993) |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic (1953–1957) Liberal (1946–1953) |
| Spouse | Maria Salvacion Javellana |
| Children | 6 |
| Alma mater | University of Santo Tomas (LL.B) |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Early life and career
editLopez was born on April 13, 1904, in Jaro, Iloilo City to Benito Villanueva Lopez and Presentacion Javelona Hofileña. He was the younger brother and only sibling of Eugenio Lopez Sr. The Lopez family was the richest and most influential family in the province.
Lopez studied high school at Colegio de San Juan de Letran, finishing in 1921. He studied law in the University of Santo Tomas, earning his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1925. After passing the bar examinations, he did not go into private practice, but helped his older brother manage the family business.
In 1945, with no prior political experience, Lopez was chosen by President Sergio Osmeña to be mayor of Iloilo City.[2] In 1947, he ran for senator and won.
Lopez was one of the founders of University of Iloilo and the FEATI University in Manila.
The brothers Eugenio and Fernando owned the Iloilo-Negros Air Express Company (the first Filipino owned air service), the Iloilo Times (El Tiempo), the Manila Chronicle and ABS-CBN Corporation, LSC (Lopez Sugar Corporation), Bayantel (including Bayan DSL), SkyCable (including SkyBroadband), Meralco, RLC (Rockwell Land Corporation), Rockwell Center, First Balfour, Inc., Philippine Electric Corporation (Philec), First Electro Dynamics Corporation (Fedcor), First Sumiden Circuits, Inc. (FSCI), Securities Transfer Services, Inc. (STSI), The Medical City (TMC), BayanTrade DotCom, First Gas Holdings Corporation (Santa Rita), FGP. Corp. (San Lorenzo), FG Hydro Power Corporation (Pantabangan-Masiway), FG Bukidnon (Agusan mini-hydro), Bauang Private Power Corporation (Bauang), Panay Electric Company (PECO), First Philippine Industrial Corporation (the major fuel distributor of Shell and Chevron Caltex in the country), First Philippine Realty Corp, First Philippine Electric Corp. (First Philec), First Philec Solar Corporation, First Sumiden Circuits, Inc. (FSCI), First Sumiden Realty, Inc, First Philippine Industrial Park.
Vice-presidency
editFirst term (1949–1953)
editIn 1949, Lopez became vice-president under President Elpidio Quirino and concurrently worked as secretary of agriculture, serving until 1953. He was then elected once again as senator, and re-elected in 1959.
Second and third term (1965–1972)
editIn 1965, Lopez ran with Ferdinand Marcos and won as vice-president. He was re-elected in 1969, making him, to date the only vice-president to serve two non-consecutive terms, two different presidents and from different parties. By the time martial law was declared in 1972, the Lopez family fell out of Marcos' favor and was targeted by the regime because of their denunciations of Marcos. The position of vice-president was abolished, and the Lopez family was stripped of most of its political and economic assets.
Later life and death
editAfter the removal of Marcos from power as a result of the People Power Revolution of 1986, Lopez became chairman of FHL Investment Corporation and vice-chairman of First Philippine Holdings Corporation.
He died on May 26, 1993, a month after his 89th birthday leaving his wife Mariquit Javellana with whom he had six children: Yolanda, Fernando, Jr. (Junjie), Alberto (Albertito), Emmanuele, Benito and Mita. He was also the longest living vice president until he was surpassed by Teofisto Guingona Jr. in 2017.
Honors and awards
edit: The Order of the Knights of Rizal, Knight Grand Cross of Rizal (KGCR).[3]
Notes
edit- ^ The Philippines was a unincorporated territory of the United States known as the Philippine Islands at the time of Lopez's birth.
References
edit- ^ Pedrosa, Carmen N. (May 31, 2020). "ABS-CBN and good government". Philstar.com. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
- ^ "Appointments and Designations: October, 1945 | GOVPH". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. October 1, 1945. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ "Our Story". Knights of Rizal. Archived from the original on June 15, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2022.