Vicente Madrigal
| Vicente María Epifanio López Madrigal | |
|---|---|
| Senator of the Philippines | |
|
In office December 30, 1945 – December 30, 1953 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
April 5, 1880 Gumaca, Quezon, Captaincy General of the Philippines |
| Died | June 6, 1972 New Manila, Quezon City, Philippines |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Political party | Liberal (1947-1953) |
| Other political affiliations |
Nacionalista (1941-1947) |
| Spouse(s) | Susana Paterno Ramos |
| Children | Macaria, Paz, Josefina, Antonio, Jose, Consuelo and Maria Luisa |
| Alma mater | Colegio de San Juan de Letran |
| Occupation | Businessman, Senator |
| Religion | Catholic |
Vicente María Epifanio Madrigal-López y Pardo de Tavera (April 5, 1880 – June 6, 1972) was a successful Spanish Filipino business tycoon, industrialist and politician. At the height of his wealth, from the 1950s to his death in the early 1970s, his portfolio was estimated to be $850 million American dollars, which would translate to more than $9 billion American dollars today. Madrigal died at home in New Manila, Quezon City, under the care of his youngest daughter, Maria Luisa.
Born in 1880, Vicente Madrigal grew up in Ligao, Albay. He was the only son of José Maria Madrigal, who emigrated from Barcelona, Spain, a Catalan migrant and former soldier, and Macaria López, a Spanish mestiza. Macaria was one of two natural daughters of Joaquin Pardo de Tavera who lived in Albay as a bachelor prior to his marriage to Getrudis Gorricho, a wealthy heiress.
Growing up in meager circumstances in remote provinces, he dreamt of owning his own shipping fleet. When the monsoon rains came, he created paper boats. His mother, nicknamed Nena, teased him that his paper boats would not take him too far away and his reply was always that one day he would take his mom and dad away on his real ship across the seas to visit Spain, his father's dying wish.
He studied at Colegio de San Juan de Letran, a Manila college known for its roster of half-Spanish Filipinos and for its location in the walled city of Intramuros, once the regional bastion of Spanish power. With his father depending on a small pension, the family exploited its military connections with the Escuela Nautica who were close with the friars who owned San Juan de Letran. He graduated with the highest honors. His closest college classmates were future Presidents Manuel Luis Quezon and Sergio Osmeña, who were themselves poor relatives of rich families.
While in Manila, he came face-to-face with the staggering wealth of his maternal grandfather's family, that of Joaquin Pardo de Tavera and the Gorricho real estate portfolio spanning the Escolta and the ancestral house of the Gorricho-Pardo de Tavera. He was determined to match or even surpass the huge wealth of his Manila relatives, who did not recognize that he, his mother and his aunt existed.
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Wikipedia