By Tony Lopez
No first lady has had such a profound and lasting impact on governance, inclusion, and in giving meaning and substance to otherwise humdrum day to day existence of ordinary Filipinos as has Mrs. Marie Louise “Liza” Cacho Araneta Marcos — Liza Araneta Marcos or simply LAM, the wife of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. (BBM), the 17th president. LAM is the 14th First Lady of the Philippines.
In ordinary English, LAM means an escape. Indeed, First Lady LAM has been so good in her role that the wondrous effect has been an escape from reality. It also helps that Liza Marcos is our first lawyer first lady.
A remarkable lawyer
As a lawyer, LAM is absolutely remarkable. Success in the profession requires intellectual rigor, discipline of hard work, problem solving skills, and thoroughness with process and details. One must not only be a scholar in law, one must be a very good and a brilliant manager.
She finished her law in 1985 at the Ateneo de Manila University where she also completed her bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, in 1981. She took up postgraduate studies at New York University. She met Bongbong Marcos in New York in 1989. They got married at the San Francesco Convent in Fiesole, Italy on April 17, 1993.
As wife, Liza says she is very supportive of Bongbong, but adds, “I am mataray” (sassy). They have three sons, Sandro, 32; Simon, 30; and Vinny, 28.
Liza’s first law firm, MOST—Marcos, Ochoa, Serapio and Tan, co-founded in 2006, produced influential lawyers. A partner, Paquito “Jojo” Ochoa Jr., served as the executive secretary of President Noynoy Aquino III. In 2009, Liza put up her own law firm, M & Associates.
Teaching law is a passion for Liza, despite a hectic life as a politician’s wife. She has taught in seven law schools.
The gravitas of a First Lady
Diplomat and author Jose “Pepe” Rodriguez sums up Mrs. Marcos’s essence as the first Philippine First Lady first after nearly a quarter century (counting from 1998, the last time we had a first lady, Dra. Loi Ejercito):
“Now, in Liza Araneta-Marcos, the role returns not merely in ceremonial form but with substance, intelligence, and self-assurance. More than a companion in the presidential household, she is the first lawyer to assume the role of First Lady in Philippine history. Reserved but resolute, cerebral yet culturally attuned, she brings a modern gravitas to the institution. While echoes of her iconic mother-in-law, Imelda Romualdez-Marcos, still reverberate through the national imagination, Liza is unmistakably her own woman— neither ghost nor shadow, but a presence that speaks quietly and acts deliberately.
“With her legal background and academic credentials, Liza represents a reinvention of First Ladyship. She has no interest in glamour for its own sake. Instead, she exercises influence through advocacy, not spectacle-favoring education, public-sector integrity, and cultural preservation. She operates without fanfare but never without focus.”
LAB for ALL
“LAB for ALL” is Liza Marcos’s all-encompassing health care outreach, especially in underserved communities.
It is one of the easiest demonstrations that the BBM government cares and cares heartily, with unbridled enthusiasm.
“The government must bring healthcare to the people. We need to make it easier for them because a healthy community is a productive community,” LAM explains of her “LAB for ALL” or Laboratoryo, Konsulta, at Gamot Para sa Lahat. They are in GIDAs — geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas. Eventually, up to 7,000 GIDAs will have Lab for All mobile clinics.
Reason for being
BBM himself explains the raison d’etre of Lab for All: “Ang kalusugan po ay kayamanan. Walang silbi ang lahat ng yaman kung hindi maayos ang ating kalusugan. Ngunit para sa mga kapus-palad nating kababayan, higit na mas malaking pagsubok ang pagkakasakit, lalo na ang mga nasa malalayong lugar (Health is wealth. Wealth is useless if we do not have good health. But for our unfortunate countrymen, getting sick is a challenge, especially those in remote areas).”
How “LAB for ALL” works
“She (LAM) does ‘LAB for ALL’ so seamlessly,” explains the President. “Everybody works together. Essentially, they bring—may bus na kumpleto ang equipment duon sa loob. Iniiwan nila doon, tapos magpapa-medical mission sila sandali para i-introduce ang project, tapos maiiwan na doon ang lahat ng gamit. Tapos tuloy naman ang balik sa susunod.”
Enthuses LAM of her priority project: “Every Tuesday, we go to a different province, and the mobile van is there and all the different agencies like DOH, TESDA, the different government agencies, but more importantly, the private sector. They go there three days before, and they give medical services, which is part of their CSR. But really—galing, galing nila. I mean, they really put a lot of their time and effort into helping senior citizens get medical services and all that. It’s really nakakataba ng puso.”
Each LAB for ALL offers these services, for free:
- Laboratory tests
- Medical services, such as specialist consultations
- Dental, Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT), OB-Gyne, pediatric, and ophthalmic consultations, including cataract screening
- Minor and major surgeries, including circumcision and medical treatments
Additionally, in key LAB for ALL centers, there is a whole-of-government approach where services include:
- Pag-IBIG Fund – The Lingkod Pag-IBIG on Wheels (LPOW), featuring the Loyalty Card Plus application and membership campaign;
- Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) – Donated a mobile clinic to the local government;
- Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) – P2,000 cash grants and food packs to 1,500 individuals under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program, as well as P1.76 million in cash grants to eight Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) Associations;
- Land Transportation Office (LTO) – Free transportation to and from the venue for the event, along with free theoretical driving courses;
- Senate Public Assistance Office – Guarantee letters for various issues;
- Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) – Free legal assistance to individuals in need of public legal services;
- Go Negosyo – Free entrepreneurship mentoring sessions through its “3M on Wheels” Program, focusing on issues related to Mentorship, Money, and Market;
- Department of Agriculture (DA) – Seeds and livelihood support for farmers;
- Commission on Higher Education (CHED) – Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) grants and scholarship opportunities;
- Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) – Skills training and opportunities for those seeking technical education and training; and
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – Assistance in licensing food manufacturers, pharmacies, and other related establishments.
A diplomat
In the field of diplomacy, First Lady LAM has subtly asserted the soft power of the presidency.
She has taken a hands-on, meticulous and fastidious preparation in the Philippines hosting of the May 8-9, 2026 ASEAN Summit in Cebu, making sure officials and delegates will enjoy if not are overwhelmed by the legendary warmth and hospitality of the Filipino.
LAM has personally inspected key venues in Cebu and Manila (site of preparatory meetings), including the Sheraton Cebu, Mactan Expo Center, and Coconut Palace, and is leading the National Organizing Council meetings. “In preparation for the ASEAN Summit, every detail is being thoughtfully considered, especially the spouses’ program,” LAM writes on her Facebook page, adding, “We hope to offer our guests a truly meaningful experience defined by the warmth, grace and hospitality of the Filipino spirit. We look forward to welcoming everyone soon.”
The summit is not just a one-off affair. It is a series of meetings numbering 650 throughout the year. The Cebu 48th ASEAN Leaders summit will address critical issues including energy, food security, and migrant worker welfare.
A tradition of quick construction projects
On Sept. 30, 2025, the President and the First Lady inaugurated the newly renovated Philippine International Convention Center. (Cost: P2 billion, in six months and under budget). BBM called the new PICC the symbol of Filipino resilience and creativity. BBM thanked mom Imelda, “the guiding light, the inspiration, the – well, she’s not the architect but she was the one who put everything together.”
He thanked First Lady Liza, “who again has inherited [applause] the tradition of very quick construction projects that actually come in under budget. So, that is always something important to her Ilocano husband.”
LAM is a builder in her own right
Liza Marcos is an inveterate builder. She has spearheaded the meticulous restoration works of the Malacañang, the presidential palace, and various mansions around the presidential residential complex in Manila.
First to be renovated was Laperal Mansion (also known as the President’s Guest House) on Arlegui Street, Manila. In 2024, it was transformed into a luxurious, historically themed official guest house for visiting foreign heads of state, with 14 presidential suites, each named after Philippine presidents, from Aguinaldo to the present Marcos.
“We renovated the mansion because we want to offer you a safe, comfortable, and meaningful place for your leader when they visit the Philippines on state official work visits,” said Mrs. Marcos
LAM recalled that the Laperal mansion served as the home of former presidents Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos when they were in office.
“Today, the Laperal Mansion will continue to tell the story of fostering and strengthening friendships amongst nations,” the First Lady said.
Also renovated in 2024 were the Goldenberg Mansions, the Teus Mansion, the Bahay Ugnayan, and the Bahay Pangulo, with an eye for inculcating in the Filipino a sense of legacy and history and strengthening Filipino culture.
Outside the palace complex, LAM has initiated the redevelopment and or building of the Pasig River and its esplanade, the Metropolitan Museum, the Likhang Pilipino Exhibit Halls (the old PhilCite), and the Film Heritage Building in Intramuros, among some projects.
Not many in the world are aware of it but the Philippines was the first Asian country visited by a European power, in 1521. On April 27, 1521, Filipino tribesmen, using nothing more than bolos, bows and arrows defeated what then was the world’s greatest naval power in the now famous Battle of Mactan. The first recorded circumnavigator, Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese but representing the King of Spain, was killed in a bloody encounter with the Filipino chieftain, Lapu-Lapu.
Likha
Project Likha is a cultural convention project allowing local artisans to showcase their works and honor their creativity. The program aims to boost Filipino artistry, fashion, and products through various conventions being held in collaboration with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. The program also aims to boost the showcasing of Filipino craftsmanship and creativity in their respective fields.
Pasig River
Liza Marcos considers the rehabilitation of the Pasig River as a top priority in order to restore the river’s former beauty, to transform the Pasig River into an attraction like the River Thames in the United Kingdom, the Chao Phraya River in Thailand, and the Seine in France as “arteries of commerce, lifestyle, tourism, and culture” that “draw visitors from home and overseas”.
Called the Pasig Bigyang Buhay Muli (PBBM) Project, the river rehabilitation project includes a sprawling 25-km riverfront esplanade project located along the Pasig River, and will feature a variety of parks, open spaces, shops, bike lanes, walk paths and commercial spaces.
Anchored on Executive Order No. 35, the project combines environmental restoration with economic development, offering new opportunities for riverside communities and positioning the Pasig River as a symbol of progress.
“This project isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about reclaiming a national treasure and ensuring it serves the people,” President Marcos Jr. said during the unveiling of the first phase in 2024. The project has also drawn the active involvement of the First Lady who has emphasized the need to balance modern infrastructure with the preservation of cultural heritage. “Every detail matters in this project—from accessibility to the cultural narrative we’re building along the riverbanks,” she said during an inspection in April 2024.
Advocacies
As First Lady, LAM has been involved in matters primarily in education and culture.
As a part-time criminal law professor, she has stressed the importance of education within the country and has launched measures to support students in need.
As a law professor, Liza has taught a wide range of subjects for over two decades: Administrative Law, Alternative Dispute Resolutions, Constitutional Law I, Constitutional Law II, Criminal Law I, Criminal Law II, Criminal Law Review, Criminal Procedure, Election Law & Law on Public Officers, Evidence, Intellectual Property, Laws on Local Government, Legal Ethics, Natural Resources & Environmental Law, Public International Law, Practice Court 1, Remedial Law I, Remedial Law II, Remedial Law Review, Special Labor & Social Legislation, Special Proceedings, Transportation and Trial Technique.
Liza has served as a law professor in several universities across the country, such as :
- West Visayas State University (2022-present), College of Law Iloilo City;
- Mariano Marcos State University (2018-2020), College of Law Ilocos Norte;
- St. Louis University (2014-2018), College of Law Baguio City;
- Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (2010-2014), College of Law Manila;
- Northwestern University (1998-2006), College of Law Ilocos Norte;
- Far Eastern Universities (1996-1998), College of Law, Manila
As it has always been in the past, the compensation she receives as a law professor is used to defray the costs of her students Bar Examinations.
Given her extensive experience in the field of education, part of her advocacy is to increase the quality of education in public schools. In fact, she was instrumental in the planning and construction of a new building with “smart technology” for West Visayas State University’s [WVSU ] College of Law.
During the opening of the Presidential Museum at the National Library of the Philippines, Araneta Marcos also emphasized the importance of libraries in the educational system, and has loaned over 40,000 books for organizing, cleaning, and repairs.
Likha backstops LAM’s support programs on arts and crafts, and cultural activities.
The focus on local arts and crafts began when she spearheaded the full-scale cultural mapping program within Marcos’s province, Ilocos Norte, during her time as the province’s first lady.
As First Lady, the advocacy has expanded to other crafts inspired by her cultural enhancement, preservation, industrial, and tourism programs which aim to support the local communities, particularly in the weaving industry in Ilocos Norte.
As a known supporter of the arts, LAM has served as a member of the Board of Trustees at the Asian Cultural Council since 2016 and has inaugurated support programs for various artists.
Parents
Liza’s father is Manuel Araneta Jr. of Iloilo City and Bago, Negros Occidental. He was often referred to as “twinkle toes” for his lightness when prancing around the basketball court during tournaments. He was a member of the 1948 London Summer Olympics for basketball. Liza’s father is the first cousin of Judy Araneta-Roxas, the wife of Senator Gerardo Roxas — the son of President Manuel Roxas.
Liza’s mother, Mila is the daughter of Jesus Cacho and Rosario Barlow Azaola. Her mother’s youngest sister, Rosario Cacho, was married to Pedro Cojuangco, the eldest brother of President Corazon C. Aquino.
Advocacies Education
Liza has always been a staunch supporter of education. Having been a law professor for almost 30 years, she has always believed that law students have the potential of being topnotch lawyers if provided with the necessary guidance and support.
Culture
Active supporter of the preservation of Filipino culture through continuous documentation and research.
Patron of the Arts
Board of Trustees of the Asian Cultural Council [2016 to present]
The Asian Cultural Council [ ACC ] advances international dialogue, understanding and respect through cultural exchange activities in Asia and the United States in order to create a more harmonious and peaceful world. This mission is accomplished through fellowships and other programs that support individual artists, scholars and arts professionals.
Titles and Recognitions
- The MOPC Transformative Power Award, Aug. 15, 2025
- Doctor of Philosophy in Rural Development, honoris causa, Mariano Marcos State University, Batac, Ilocos Norte, July 11, 2025
- Honorary Doctorate (Doctor of Humanities), Philippine Christian University, Oct. 1, 2024
- Honorary Auxiliary Vice Admiral, Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA) Executive Squadron, July 16, 2024
- Doctor Laws honoris causa, Western Visayas State University, Iloilo City, June 8, 2024
- Doctor of Education honoris causa, Palawan State University, Puerto Princesa, June 21, 2023
- Doctor of Philosophy in Institutional Development and Management honoris causa, Sultan Kudarat State University, Tacurong City, April 27, 2023
- Conferred with the title of Bai-a-Labi of Mindanao Darussalam, Royal Sultanates of Mindanao, April 27, 2023
- 1st Adopted Daughter of the Sultan Kudarat University, Sultan Kudarat University, Tacurong City, April 27, 2023
- Pillar and Honorary Member, Rotary Club of La Paz District 3850, Iloilo City, April 25, 2023
- Chief Girl Scout of the Philippines, Girl Scout of the Philippines, Nov. 3, 2022