Imelda R. Marcos (b. Imelda Remedios Visitacion Romualdez) was born of a middle class family, and although not rich, she had a comfortable education and background, ending up on her fathers abaca and coconut plantation. She earned a bachelor's degree in education in Tacloban's St. Paul's College but then set out for fame and glory in the very traditional method of the
beauty pageants .... and at the age of 18 was crowned the '
Rose of Tacloban'. She later became '
Miss Leyte', and previously, during some Philippine-American Friendship celebrations, she was crowned unofficial "
Miss Philippines".
She then worked in the music stores in Escolta
singing popular songs of the day to help sell sheet music and records, where she was popular and made profits for her cousin, Daniel Zialcita's store. Her dad wasn't happy when he found out, and charging his relative with '
trying to sell my child' he took her home. She then took voice lessons at the music conservatory of the University of Santo Tomas. She was now on the political, social ladder, and was invited to the parties of Pedro(or 'Pete') Cojuangco , (eldest brother of
Cory Aquino) where she was told to wear a flapper dress. She came home ridiculed and slighted by most of the landed scions at the party .... she never forgot, and they would learn to regret this incident.
First Scandal:
Now, there's no getting away from the fact that once we get into the politics she moves into a different league of celebrity, but in these early days, things were slightly different ... Her photogenic face soon graced many of Manila's magazine covers and then came a sour note as a result of a scandal ... Rising movie stars, glamorous high society girls and beautiful delegates from cities and the provinces rushed to join the
Miss Philippines contest of 1953. Apparently the early favorites were Alice Fuentes of Baguio, Antonia Tan and Violeta Villamor. Mindanao was represented by a well-known socialite, Gilda Walstrom, (
who was then romantically linked to a young Mr Ferdinand Marcos 
) ... amongst the
other contestants was one Imelda Romualdez who was at the pageant as Miss Manila nominee. The contest was won by Maria Cristina Galang from Tarlac. Then came the controversy due to Imelda Romuladez's
complaints about not winning the title. This prompted the then Manila Mayor, Arsenio Lacson to bestow upon her the title of "
Manila's Muse", presumably to satisfy her 'connections' and shut her up.
Politics and Scandals:
In 1953, Marcos met then-Ilocos Norte Congressman Ferdinand E. Marcos. After a whirlwind eleven day courtship in Baguio during Holy Week they were married. Between then and 1965, she was constantly featured on the many magazine covers (with or without her husband). She travelled around the entire country to help her husband Ferdinand win the presidency, which he did in December 1965. All was well, with Imelda enjoying the trappings of power such as featuring in countless magazines locally as well as abroad, but the rest as they say is history .... I won't bother with all the details, they are on
her link anyway, but a few notable incidents ...
- On December 7, 1972, an assailant, Carlito Dimahilig, tried to stab her to death with a bolo knife during an award ceremony broadcast live on television. Many claimed that whole 'assassination attempt' was staged and as the assailant was shot dead by security police we'll never know, but Imelda required 75 stitches to treat wounds on her hands and arms.
- As a Special Envoy, Imelda toured the nasties (Communist block and Libya for example) with a multi-million expenditure spent on traveling with a large diplomatic entourage using private jets ... she later claimed 'diplomatic successes' justified this.
- Imelda secured the Miss Universe 1974 pageant for Manila which necessitated the construction and completion of the 10,000-seat Folk Arts Theater in less than three months.
- After the assassination of opposition leader former senator Benigno Aquino, Jr. on the tarmac of then Manila International Airport on 1983, Imelda was amongst those accused of ordering his assassination .... the First Lady denied the allegation against her.
In the 1986 snap presidential elections, she supported Marcos in his bid to be re-elected for the presidency against the widow
Corazon 'Cory' Aquino .. they lost (eventually) and fled the country ... She returned to the Philippines in 1991 and was eventually voted back in to the Senate again
Personal Financial Excesses:
- These reportedly included five-million-dollar shopping tours in New York, Rome and Copenhagen in 1983.
- Sending a plane to pick up Australian white sand for a new beach resort.
- She purchased a number of properties in Manhattan in the 1980s, including the $51-million Crown Building, the Woolworth Building (40 Wall Street) and the $60-million Herald Centre; and all on a presidents salary ... what a home maker
- Her New York real estate was later seized and sold, along with much of her jewels and most of her 175 piece art collection, which included works by Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Canaletto!
Needless to say, she was immensely rich at the end of all his (est $35bn), but the source of that money is to say the least,
shady (
Yamashita's gold, she later changed this story, to that of her husband gold trading up from zero to 7,500 tons of gold in the 1950's ...
all subject to investigation). She responded to criticisms of her extravagance by claiming that it was her "
duty" to be "
some kind of light, a star to give the poor guidelines".
Courts:
In 1990, she was acquitted of racketeering and fraud charges in the US. In 2008 Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 26 acquitted Marcos of 32 counts of dollar salting (involving £430m in Swiss bank accounts) due to reasonable doubt. In September 2010, the Sandiganbayan's Fifth Division ordered Imelda Marcos to return 12 million pesos ($280,000) in government funds secretly taken out by her late husband from the National Food Authority 27 years ago ... and so it goes on
Quotes:
"
First of all, I am so happy and I thank the Lord that the 32 cases have been dismissed by the regional court here in Manila. This will subtract from the 901 cases that were filed against the Marcose's".
Trivia:
- She is often remembered for her financial extravagance during her husband's political reign, including her collection of 2700 pairs of shoes. Time later reported that the final tally was 1,060.
- She is sometimes referred to as the 'Steel Butterfly' or the 'Iron Butterfly'.
- She is the first Filipino politician elected as member of the Philippine legislature in three geographical locations (Manila, Leyte, Ilocos Norte).
- On her paternal side, her founding ancestor was a Dominican Friar and his mistress.
- Her mother, Remedios Trinidad y de Guzman or Remedios T. Romualdez, a former convent girl in Paco, Manila, was said to have been born out of wedlock, also the child of a friar
- She learned how to sleep while sitting upright with her elaborate coiffure intact for public appearances.
- Her "theatrical" fraud trial involved many celebrities: Marcos' $5-million-dollar bail was posted by tobacco heiress, Doris Duke, a friend from Hawaii; and actor George Hamilton was a star witness for the defense.
- She declined to purchase the Empire State Building for $750m as she considered it "too ostentatious".
Pictures:
Obviously, as a political leaders wife she was later much photographed, but I have searched out some earlier stuff or less well known events (the latest in the mid 70's), when she was largely a national beauty queen and publicity hunting wife of a local / regional politician.
