Senator M.A. Madrigal

Biography

One of the leaders of the crusade against government corruption and a staunch promoter of social reforms in the Philippines is Maria Ana Consuelo Abad Santos Madrigal.

She is from a family of nation-builders and public servants. She is the granddaughter of a national hero and martyr, Supreme Court Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos. Her granduncle, Assemblyman Pedro Abad Santos, was the father and founder of the Socialist Party of the Philippines and a well-known defender of the poor and the oppressed. Her paternal grandfather is Senator Vicente Madrigal, a businessman., industrialist, and one of the Philippine Republic's elected senators in 1949.

Her aunt, Senator Pacita Madrigal-Gonzales-a senator during the Quezon and Magsaysay administrations-was the first Administrator of the Social Welfare Administration, the predecessor of today's Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Even before she became a senator, she had set up numerous foundations to help the Filipino people. The Books-for-the-Barangay Foundation, Inc. has shipped more than P2.5 billion worth of books for Philippine public elementary and high schools. The Abad Santos Madrigal Foundation, Inc. empowers women and children through relevant and accessible livelihood programs. The foundation's flagship project, the Basic Reflexology Training Program, has trained more than 10,000 reflexology therapists nationwide. The ABLE Foundation, Inc., meanwhile, has been providing scholarships to poor deserving youth for years now.

Senator Madrigal also served as a Presidential Adviser for Children's Affairs during the term of President Joseph Estrada.

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