15p Portrait, Pacita Madrigal
Gonzalez - Singles (101,000)
Note: Possible error on spelling of
name: Official records of Philippine Senate has her name
spelled as GONZALES (not Gonzalez)
First Day Covers: Manila
Pacita Madrigal Gonzales - Birth
Centenary
Senator Pacita Madrigal was born in San Miguel district, Manila to
Senator Vicente Madrigal and the late Susana Paterno. She studied at
the Philippine Women’s University, where she graduated as high
school valedictorian in three years; was medalist in Sorbonne
University, Paris and graduated magna cum laude in business
administration at the University of Santo Tomas.
She also attended the finishing school Le College Feminine de
Bouffemont on Seine, Paris; Dale Carnegie Course and Powers School
of New York.
In New York when World War II broke out on December 8, 1941. Pacita
Madrigal took up Red Cross work and also served as apprentier at the
Walter Reed Hospital.
After the war, she married Herman Warns; Manila Gas Corporation
vice-president and general manager and established her ballet
school. Getting interested in politics in 1952, she joined the
League of Women Voters and represented it, in the Triennial Congress
of International Allience of Women, Naples, Italy. She went next to
Geneva and Paris as counselor of the Philippine delegation to the
UNESCO Seventh General Conference.
In 1953, she organized the Womens Magsaysay for President Movement
that helped elect Ramon Magsaysay to the Presidency of the
Philippines. In 1954, she was appointed Social Welfare Administrator
and she converted the WMPM into a civic organization for social
welfare. She also organized the Samahang Manang Pacita for community
development through women’s efforts.
She resigned as SWA administrator, ran as Nacionalista senatorial
candidate and won. In the Senate, she was chairman of the Committee
on Social Justice. Community Development and Welfare, and member of
other senate committees. She was senator from 1955 to 1961.
As cabinet member when she was SWA administrator, she had been
chairman of member at various times of some 40 committees, councils,
commissions, boards and institutes; member of the Council of State,
Community Development Council, Slum Clearance Committee, Community
Chest, UNICEP, Peace and Amelioration Fund Commission,
American-Philippine Guardian Association and Philippine National Red
Cross, Roxas Memorial Commission, Institution de Mujeres, Pan
Pacific Women’s Association, Philippine Committee of United Nations
Appeal for Children.
Widowed, she married Atty. Gonzalo Gonzales in 1956.
Pacita Madrigal died in 2008 at age 93.
https://www.senate.gov.ph/senators/former_senators/pacita_madrigal.htm