10 Facts About Eva Macapagal

Eva Macapagal was the ninth First Lady of the Philippines, and the mother of the fourteenth President, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Eva Macapagal completed her medical studies at the University of Santo Tomas and passed the medical board in 1938.

Eva Macapagal campaigned for quality films and TV shows and promoted the use of the patadyong kimona and the terno among women.

Eva Macapagal was known for frequently wearing the national dress.

Eva Macapagal wore ternos as well as Maria Claras for formal occasions or state functions, but preferred to wear the patadyong kimona for simplicity and ease of movement.

Eva Macapagal favored a handful of Filipino couturiers, including Pitoy Moreno, who adhered to her preferred style of simple but elegant lines.

Eva Macapagal made inspection tours to supervise efficiency towards this aim.

Eva Macapagal tended the grounds of the palace and the executive building as a garden, planted new trees and flowering shrubs, and demolished old wooden structures, recommending that no new building be constructed in the Malacanang grounds to maintain the green spaces belonging to the palace complex.

Eva Macapagal discovered that the Palace had a wealth of fine woodwork made of high-quality Philippine hardwoods.

Eva Macapagal discovered handsome pieces of furniture and decorations stacked in storerooms, offices and garages in the Palace complex, which she salvaged and refurbished.