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San Nicolas, Lubao, Pampanga
Art or Arthur is the second child and eldest son of the late President Diosdado Macapagal from the latter’s first wife Purita dela Rosa, who passed away when Art was just a year old. Purita was a younger sister of the matinee idol Rogelio dela Rosa. His elder sister Cielo Macapagal-Salgado was former vice-governor of Pampanga (1989-1992 and 1995-1998). When Art was five years old, his father Diosdado married Evangelina Macaraeg. President Gloria-Macapagal-Arroyo and Diosdado Macapagal Jr. are his sister and brother from this union. Having equipped himself with the proper education, Art ventured into a career in business and management where he flourished and made a name for himself having been an executive of top Philippine and foreign companies. At present he is the president and Chief Executive Officer of Toyota Pasong Tamo, one of Toyota’s largest dealers. He is also Chair of Majal Properties, Inc. and Melandrex Holdings, Inc. Art is also very active in different organizations like the Financial Executives Institute (FINEX) and the Management Association of the Philippines. His achievements in his chosen field did not go unnoticed. In 1979, the AIM Alumni Association gave Art the prestigious Triple-Award for Outstanding Achievements in Management. And in 1995, the San Beda Alumni Association on the occasion of the Centennial of the Benedictine Monks in the Philippines honored Art with the Centennial Award for Outstanding Achievement in Business and Management. A healthy mind in a healthy body, Art is also a consummate athlete. He represented the country in target shooting competition for more than two decades including two Olympics – Munich (1972) and Montreal (1976). In 1972, Art was able to establish a national record in Olympic Free Pistol that remained unbroken for 21 years, the longest in the history of the country’s shooting sport. He also held the record in Air Pistol for many years. In 1973 and 1974, he was an All-around Filipino Sports Awardee of the Philippine Sportswriters Association. Because of his contribution and dedication to the sport of target shooting, the Philippine Olympic Committee honored him as the Most Outstanding Shooter for the Decade of 1980. Dedication to work and to sports did not deter Art from his social and community responsibilities. Believing the value of education, in 1963, Art together with some friends organized the Scholarship Foundation of the Filipino Youth, a scholarship foundation that grants college scholarship to talented but financially handicapped high school students, where he still serves as Chairman. He is also a Trustee of St. Anthony College of Technology in Mabalacat, Pampanga. He is also a member of Habitat Philippines, an organization that builds houses for the poor. Art’s family life is equally successful to say the least to his professional life. Art is happily married to Ma. Therese Jalandoni who comes from Iloilo. Mariter, as his wife is called, is the Executive Directress of St. Joseph Cupertino School for Special Children and a senior professor at Miriam College. She has a master’s degree in special education and a doctorate degree in education administration from the University of the Philippines. They have three children: Andrei, who is a special child; Alex, who also has an MBM from AIM and is now with Land Bank of the Philippines, president of Melandrex Holdings, Inc. and Treasurer of Toyota Pasong Tamo; and Ma. Elizabeth, who obtained her Masters in Social Psychology degree from Claremont Graduate School in the United States and Doctorate in Psychology from the Ateneo de Manila University. She is married to Juanito C. Mercado and has two children, Angela and Matthew. She now teaches at the Ateneo de Manila, Department of Psychology. An offer of a life of public service came early to Art when in 1971, the late governor Jose Lingad asked Art to run for governor of Pampanga. In 1987, he was also asked by the late Governor Bren Guiao to be congressman and in 1989 to be his vice-governor.
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