Don Vicente Orestes Romualdez y Lopez (1885–1955)

Location: Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum, Real Street, Tacloban

Category: Personages

Type: Biographical marker

Status: Level II - Historical marker

Marker date: 1 July 1985

Installed by: National Historical Institute (NHI)

Marker text (Filipino):

DON VICENTE ORESTES ROMUALDEZ Y LOPEZ (1885–1955)

AMA NG TAHANAN, MANANANGGOL, PROPESOR AT DEAN EMERITUS

IPINANGANAK SA TOLOSA, LEYTE, NOONG HULYO 3, 1885. ISANG KARAPAT-DAPAT NA ALUMNUS NG ATENEO MUNICIPAL DE MANILA (NGAYON AY ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY). ITINAAS SA “CLASE SUPERIOR” KASAMA ANG KANYANG MGA KAPATID NA SINA NORBERTO AT MIGUEL NOONG 1895–1896, NANG HALOS 11 TAONG GULANG PA LAMANG. NAGSIMULANG MAGLINGKOD SA PAMAHALAAN NOONG HUNYO 11, 1912. NAGING HUKOM PAMAYAPA NG TOLOSA AT, PAGKARAAN, BILANG PANLALAWIGANG SERIP NG LEYTE.

NAG-ARAL NG BATAS SA ESCUELA DE DERECHOS DE MANILA AT PUMASA SA BAR NOONG 1916. NAGKAMIT NG TITULONG DOKTOR SA MGA BATAS SIBIL (SOBRESALIENTE) SA PAMANTASAN NG SANTO TOMAS NOONG NOBYEMBRE 1923. NANUNGKULAN BILANG MANANANGGOL SA ROMUALDEZ LAW OFFICES SA MAYNILA (1919–1938). INIHALAL NA PANGULO NG NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION SA TACLOBAN AT NAGING LIDER PANDANGAL NG KILUSAN NG MGA GERILYA SA LEYTE NOONG PANAHON NG PANANAKOP NG MGA HAPON (1941–1944). NAGING DEKANO NG KOLEHIYO NG BATAS NG ST. PAUL’S COLLEGE SA TACLOBAN AT PROPESOR SA BATAS. GINAWARAN NG TITULONG DEAN EMERITUS NG INSTITUSYON DING YAON DAHIL SA KANYANG MGA TULONG NA AKADEMIKO AT PAMPANGASIWAAN SA ISKORLASIP SA BATAS.

SA KANYANG UNANG KABIYAK NA SI DOÑA JUANITA ACEREDA, SIYA AY PINAGPALA NG LIMANG ANAK NA SINA LOURDES, VICENTE, JR., DULCE (SISTER BELLARMINE), VICTORIA AT FRANCISCO; AT SA KANYANG PANGALAWANG MAYBAHAY NA SI DOÑA REMEDIOS TRINIDAD, SIYA AY NAGKAROON NG ANIM NA ANAK NA SINA IMELDA, BENJAMIN, ALITA, ALFREDO, ARMANDO AT CONCHITA.

NAMATAY SA GULANG NA 70 SETYEMBRE 30, 1955.

Marker text (English):

DON VICENTE ORESTES ROMUALDEZ Y LOPEZ (1885–1955)

FAMILY MAN, LAWYER, PROFESSOR AND DEAN EMERITUS

BORN IN JULY 3, 1885 IN TOLOSA, LEYTE. A DESERVING ALUMNUS OF THE ATENEO MUNICIPAL DE MANILA, FOR IN 1895–1896, BARELY 11 YEARS OLD, HE WAS PROMOTED TO “CLASE SUPERIOR”, ALONG WITH BROTHERS NORBERTO AND MIGUEL. ON JUNE 11, 1912, HE WAS ADMITTED TO THE PHILIPPINE CIVIL SERVICE. HE WAS JUSTICE OF THE PEACE OF TOLOSA AND, LATER, PROVINCIAL SHERIFF OF THE PROVINCE OF LEYTE.

HE TOOK UP LAW IN THE ESCUELA DE DERECHOS DE MANILA AND PASSED THE BAR IN 1916. HE FINISHED THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF CIVIL LAWS (D.C.L.), SOBRESALIENTE, AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS ON NOVEMBER 23, 1923. FROM 1919–1938, HE PRACTICE LAW IN MANILA AT THE ROMUALDEZ LAW OFFICES. HE WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IN TACLOBAN DURING THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION (1941–1944) AND WAS AN HONORARY LEADER OF THE LEYTE GUERILLA MOVEMENT. HE WAS DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF LAW OF ST. PAUL’S COLLEGE IN TACLOBAN AND PROFESSOR OF LAW. FOR HIS ACADEMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE CONTRIBUTIONS TO LEGAL SCHOLARSHIP, HE WAS CONFERRED THE HONORIFIC TITLE OF DEAN EMERITUS BY THE SAME INSTITUTION.

WITH HIS FIRST WIFE, DOÑA JUANITA ACEREDA, HE HAD FIVE CHILDREN NAMELY: LOURDES, VICENTE JR., DULCSE (SISTER BELLARMINE), VICTORIA AND FRANCISCO. WITH HIS SECOND WIFE DOÑA REMEDIOS TRINIDAD, HE HAD SIX CHILDREN: IMELDA, BENJAMIN, ALITA, ALFREDO, ARMANDO AND CONCHITA.

DIED ON SEPTEMBER 30, 1955 AT THE AGE OF 70.