Who is Arthur Macapagal?

Not too many people know who Arthur Macapagal is, or even the fact that he is the older brother of the President. That’s because Arthur is a very low-key and unassuming person who doesn’t make a big deal of the fact that he is the son of President Diosdado Macapagal. One would think that with his younger sister occupying the highest seat in the land, Arthur would have also become a Palace fixture with his name and face splashed all over the papers. But the fact is, to this day he had not even attempted to visit his old room in Malacañang, and only goes to the Palace when invited by his sister.

Arthur’s mother is Purita de la Rosa, the younger sister of former matinee idol-turned senator Rogelio de la Rosa and the first wife of President Macapagal. At a young age, Arthur was orphaned when his mother died during World War II. Diosdado Macapagal later married Doña Eva Macaraeg, mother of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Those who know Arthur like him for his humility and respect his business savvy. He is the owner of the Toyota Pasong Tamo dealership, and he finished his bachelor’s degree in management from San Beda College, graduating with honors in 1968. He was also the Student Council president on his last year in college. He then obtained a master’s degree in Business Management from the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), where he eventually became the first Student Association president and first Alumni Association chairman.

Happily married to Mariter Jalandoni of Iloilo, Arthur has lived a simple life, with no scandal attached to his name whatsoever. The couple has three children, one of whom is a special child. Along with some friends, Arthur put up a foundation giving college scholarships to bright but poor high school graduates. That he has compassion for the less fortunate can also be gleaned from the fact that he continues to be a member of a group that builds houses for the poor. But more than anything, perhaps what is the most well-known fact about Arthur his being a sharpshooter. He is an Olympian who represented the Philippines in the 1972 and 1976 Olympics in Munich and Montreal, respectively. Arthur also held the national record in Olympic Free Pistol for more than two decades, and was the Philippine Sportswriters Association’s All-Around Filipino Sports Awardee in 1973 and 1974.

There’s no question he is a man who has such passion and dedication for sports. Over the years, he has continued to be active in the local shooting scene. As chief of the National Shooting Association, he has kept interest and enthusiasm for the sport very much alive. Shooting is one area where Filipinos can excel in because it is a sport that does not require height or built, unlike in basketball and other similar sports.

I understand Arthur will be running against another presidential brother, Peping Cojuangco, for the top post of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) on Nov. 26. Those who know Arthur believe he could do a lot to elevate the level of sports in this country and improve the dismal performance of our athletes during the last Olympics in Beijing. We have it on good authority that he has drawn up a plan that would zero in on talented athletes and give them intensive training under the best coaches available to improve their chances in the London Olympics in 2012.

Arthur is also looking at the possibility of putting up a Sports Foundation to generate more financial support for the various athletic associations in the country. Of course, everyone knows that a successful sports program would require a lot of financial support to get the best equipment and training for our athletes. Perhaps then we could end our medal drought and once again experience the euphoria of the old days when our athletes were looked up to with pride and respect - and were the kind that could get a crack at Olympic medals.

A lot of people believe Arthur can stand on his own even without the support of the President, and rightly so. In the first place, Palace intervention in the POC elections is a big no-no. Besides, Arthur reportedly has the support of other sports leaders like Congressman and weightlifting boss Monico Puentevella and former presidential adviser and taekwondo chief Robert Aventajado. In any case, having Arthur Macapagal at the helm of the POC could only mean good news for sports in this country.

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Reaction to “Boracay land grab”

We got a text message from Rally Martinez who clarified that his group of investors composed of George Yang of McDonald’s, Dodie Puno, Lino Barte and himself bought the company which owns the Boracay property of Iñigo Zobel (mentioned in our previous column Boracay ‘land grab,’ Nov. 11 issue). According to Rally, the said property is located in the area identified in GMA’s Proclamation 1064 as agricultural/residential and is therefore open for private ownership.

Apparently, the consortium is very bullish about the Boracay property and despite the current controversy, they are set to convert it into a five-star luxury hotel. Rally claims that his partners are the same proponents undertaking the Build-Operate-Transfer project for the Caticlan International Airport.

Former Asian Spirit owner Noel Oñate texted me saying that Iñigo is so lucky to be laughing all the way to the bank. But Noel himself is laughing with Iñigo all the way to the bank, having gotten out of the airline industry just in the nick of time when he sold Asian Spirit to “Zesto king” Fred Yao (which is why the airline is now called ZestAir).

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