Norberto Romuáldez y López (June 6, 1875 – November 4, 1941), often referred to as Norberto Romuáldez Sr. to distinguish him from his son with the same name, was a Philippine writer, politician, jurist, and statesman. He was the first Lopez-Romuáldez to attain national prominence, and is deemed the "Father of the Law on the National Language".[1] He was the eldest son of Doña Trinidad López de Romuáldez, the Romuáldez grand matriarch, and uncle of First Lady of the Philippines Imelda Romualdez Marcos, the daughter of his youngest brother Vicente Orestes Lopez Romualdez.
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In this
Spanish name, the first or paternal
surname is
Romuáldez and the second or maternal family name is
López.
Quick Facts The Honorable, 24th Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines ...
Norberto Romuáldez |
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 Norberto Romualdez on a Philippine postage stamp (c. 1975) |
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In office
November 1, 1921 – April 1, 1932 |
| Appointed by | Warren Harding |
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| Preceded by | Manuel Araullo |
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| Succeeded by | José Abad Santos |
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In office
September 1, 1936 – November 4, 1941 |
| Preceded by | Francisco Enage |
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| Succeeded by | Filomeno Montejo (as member of the House of Representatives) |
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| Born | Norberto Romuáldez y López
(1875-06-06)June 6, 1875
Burauen, Leyte, Captaincy General of the Philippines |
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| Died | November 4, 1941(1941-11-04) (aged 66)
Palapag, Samar, Commonwealth of the Philippines |
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| Political party | Nacionalista |
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| Spouses |
Mariquita Marquez
(m. 1899 ; died 1903 )Beatriz Duarte Romualdez
(m. 1907 ) |
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| Relatives | Imelda Marcos (niece)
Benjamin Romualdez (nephew)
Daniel Z. Romualdez (nephew)
Eduardo Romualdez (nephew)
Alberto Romualdez (grandnephew)
Johnny Romualdez (grandnephew)
Jose Manuel Romualdez (grandnephew)
Irene Araneta (grandniece)
Imee Marcos (grandniece)
Bongbong Marcos (grandnephew)
Sandro Marcos (great-grandnephew) |
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Born to the prominent López clan of Leyte (originally from Granada in the Andalusian region of Spain), he is the grandson of Spanish friar and silversmith Don Francisco López. Romuáldez grew up in Leyte, where the López family owned vast coconut and abacá plantations, and first achieved status as a writer in the Waray language. His first Waray zarzuela was An Pagtabang ni San Miguel (The Aid of Saint Michael).
In 1908, Romuáldez wrote Bisayan Grammar and Notes on Bisayan Rhetoric and Poetic and Filipino Dialectology, a treatise on the grammar of the Waray language. The following year (1909) he founded the Sanghiran san Binisaya ha Samar ug Leyte (Academy of the Visayan Language of Samar and Leyte) for the purpose of promoting and intellectualizing Waray. Romuáldez was also fluent in other languages like Spanish, English, and Cebuano.
Romuáldez served as an Associate Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court during the American Period. He was also a participant in the 1934-1935 Constitutional Convention which resulted in the 1935 Constitution for the Philippine Commonwealth. He was later elected as assemblyman from the 4th district of Leyte through a special election in 1936.[2] He was re-elected in 1938.
Romuáldez ran for senator in 1941. However, he died on November 4, 1941, a week before the election, after an undisclosed illness.[3] A book written about his niece's life notes that he died of a heart attack in Samar.[4]
On the eve of his niece Imelda Romualdez de Marcos and her husband Ferdinand Marcos's proclamation as President and First Lady of the Philippines, in 1965, his composition, a song, Plegaria (A Plea), was sung in the Marcos family home in San Juan
