When was Diosdado Macapagal born?

Diosdado Macapagal was born on 28 September 1910 in Lubao.

What positions has Diosdado Macapagal held?

Positions held by Diosdado Macapagal include: President of the Philippines (1961–1965); Vice President of the Philippines (1957–1961); member of the House of Representatives (1949–1957); 1970 Philippine Constitutional Convention election.

Where did Diosdado Macapagal study?

Diosdado Macapagal was educated at University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, Pampanga High School, Philippine Law School.

PH1 Nelson Archey · Public domain

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Diosdado Macapagal

President of the Philippines from 1961 to 1965

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Diosdado Pangan Macapagal Sr. (Tagalog: [djosˈdado makapaˈɡal]; September 28, 1910 – April 21, 1997), also known colloquially as “Apung Dadong”, was the ninth president of the Philippines, serving from 1961 to 1965. He served as the 5th vice president from 1957 to 1961 under Carlos P. Garcia. He also served as a member of the House of Representatives, and headed the Constitutional Convention of 1970. He was the father of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who followed his path as President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010. Diosdado Macapagal Sr is one of the few presidents with doctoral degrees, earning a Doctors of Civil Law degree and a PHD in Economics degree from University of Santo Tomas.

Quick facts

Born: 28 September 1910 wd
Place of birth: Lubao wd
Died: 21 April 1997 wd
Citizenship: Philippines wd
Occupation: economist, politician wd
Political party: Liberal Party of the Philippines wd
Education: University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, Pampanga High School, Philippine Law School, University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law wd
Spouse: Eva Macapagal, Purita Macapagal wd

Positions held wd

President of the Philippines (30 December 1961 – 30 December 1965)
Vice President of the Philippines (30 December 1957 – 30 December 1961)
member of the House of Representatives (30 December 1949 – 30 December 1957)
1970 Philippine Constitutional Convention election

Awards wd

Order of Sikatuna
Order of the Rajamitrabhorn
Nishan-e-Pakistan
Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1963)
Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum
Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic‎ (1962)

About

Known as "The Poor Boy From Lubao", he was a native of Lubao, Pampanga. Macapagal graduated from the University of the Philippines and University of Santo Tomas, both in Manila, after which he worked as a lawyer for the government. He first won the election in 1949 to the House of Representatives, representing the 1st district in his home province of Pampanga. In 1957, he became vice president under the rule of President Carlos P. Garcia, whom he later defeated in the 1961 election.

As president, Macapagal worked to suppress graft and corruption and to stimulate the growth of the Philippine economy. He introduced the country's first land reform law, placed the peso on the free currency exchange market, and liberalized foreign exchange and import controls. Many of his reforms, however, were crippled by a Congress dominated by the rival Nacionalista Party. He is also known for shifting the country's observance of Independence Day from July 4 to June 12, commemorating the day President Emilio Aguinaldo unilaterally declared the independence of the First Philippine Republic from the Spanish Empire in 1898. He stood for re-election in 1965 but was defeated by Ferdinand Marcos.

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Questions

When was Diosdado Macapagal born?: Diosdado Macapagal was born on 28 September 1910 in Lubao.
What positions has Diosdado Macapagal held?: Positions held by Diosdado Macapagal include: President of the Philippines (1961–1965); Vice President of the Philippines (1957–1961); member of the House of Representatives (1949–1957); 1970 Philippine Constitutional Convention election.
Where did Diosdado Macapagal study?: Diosdado Macapagal was educated at University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, Pampanga High School, Philippine Law School.

Sources

Last updated 31 October 2026 · facts checked 6 November 2026

Cite this page

"Diosdado Macapagal". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/diosdado-macapagal. Retrieved 6 November 2026.

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Text from the Wikipedia article Diosdado Macapagal, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Diosdado Macapagal USS Oklahoma City 1962 cropped.jpg — PH1 Nelson Archey, Public domain.

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