Eulogio "Amang" Rodriguez

President of the Senate of the Philippines 1952–1953, 1953–1963
Secretary of Agriculture and Commerce 1934-1940, 1940–1941
Senator of the Philippines 1945-1947, 1949–1964
Representative, 2nd District of Rizal 1925-1928, 1931–1935
Representative, Lone District Nueva Vizcaya 1922-1925
City Mayor of Manila 1923-1924
Governor of Rizal 1916-1922
Municipal President of Montalban 1906–1916
Political Party:	Nacionalista Party
Born:	January 21, 1883 Montalban, Morong
Died:	December 19, 1964
Spouse:	Juana Santiago Luisita Canoy

Eulogio "Amang" Adona Rodriguez, Sr. (January 21, 1883–December 19, 1964) was a Filipino politician, the longest serving Senate President after Manuel L. Quezon, serving the post from April 30, 1952 to April 17, 1953 and May 20, 1953 to April 5, 1963.

Rodriguez was born in Montalban (renamed Rodriguez in his honor), Distrito de Morong on January 21, 1883 to Petronilo Rodriguez and Monica Adona. He first studied at the Spanish-run public school in Montalban, then took his secondary course at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Manila, where he completed his Bachelor of Arts in 1896. He then studied law under a private tutor.

Political life

Rodriguez first served as Municipal President of Montalban, Rizal from 1906–1916; became Governor of Rizal in June 1916; and was reelected in June 1922. He was appointed Mayor of Manila by Governor General Leonard Wood on July 23, 1923, and later served as Representative of Nueva Vizcaya District from February 1924 to May 1925. He became the Representative of the Second District of Rizal in 1925 and was reelected in 1931 and 1934. He was also appointed Secretary of Agriculture and Commerce by Governor Frank Murphy on July 26, 1934, re-appointed by President Manuel L. Quezon on January 15, 1940, and served as such until August 28, 1941. After his resignation as Mayor of Manila, he campaigned for a seat in the Senate and was elected senator in 1941. On May 20, 1953, he was elected Senate President, a position he occupied for the next ten years.

“Amang” started his career in politics as a Democrata or a member of the opposition party, and not until there was a general realignment of parties due to the divisive struggle over the approval of the Independence Law in 1933, did he switch to the majority or the Nacionalista Party, to which he remained faithful until the day of his death three decades later. He nursed the party during its darkest hours, and steered it successfully through the political reefs and typhoons that rocked the local scene, thus earning for him the sobriquet “Mr. Nacionalista”. Unlike so many others, he did not switch parties for personal convenience.

As a legislator, he always supported measures improving the lot of common man, for he knew that the upgrading of the masses was the best way of retaining democracy in the country. Many were sometimes politically at odds with him, but they always found him to be a reasonable opponent who played clean in a game known for its mendacity and unpricipled moves. A man of integrity, who played fair even with his opponents, and who could be generous in victory, Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez was a man, a politician and a public official of sterling attributes.

He had seven children by his first wife, Juana Santiago, namely Eulogio, Jr., Jose, Ruperto, Leonor, Isidro, Constancio and Adelaida. With his second wife, Luisita Canoy, he had three children, namely, Baby, Linda and Rafael.

References

• Senate of the Philippines
• Paras, Corazon. The Presidents of the Senate of the Republic of the Philippines. Quezon City: Giraffe Books, 2000. ISBN 971-8832-24-6