Matthew Manotoc

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Matthew Manotoc
Governor of Ilocos Norte
Incumbent
Assumed office June 30, 2019
Vice Governor	Cecilia Araneta-Marcos
Preceded by	Imee Marcos
Member of the Ilocos Norte Provincial Board from the 2nd district
In office June 30, 2016 – June 30, 2019
Chairman of the National Movement of Young Legislators Ilocos Norte Chapter
Incumbent
Assumed office 2016
Personal details
Born	Matthew Joseph Manotoc[fn 1] (1988-12-09) December 9, 1988 (age 35) Morocco
Nationality	Filipino
Political party	Nacionalista
Parent(s)	Tommy Manotoc (father) Imee Marcos (mother)
Relatives	Marcos family
Residence(s)	Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, Philippines
Alma mater	Claremont McKenna College (BA)
Occupation	Politician, athlete, sports manager

Matthew Joseph Marcos Manotoc^{[fn 1]} (born December 9, 1988) is a Filipino politician and athlete from Ilocos Norte, Philippines. He currently serves the second year of his second term as the governor of Ilocos Norte and is a senior provincial board member from the second legislative district of Ilocos Norte from 2016 to 2019.^[1][2]

Manotoc was born on December 9, 1988, in Morocco,^[3] the youngest son of Imee Romualdez Marcos and Tommy La'O Manotoc. He is a member of the Marcos family. At the time of his birth, his parents were in exile in Morocco reportedly living under false passports.^[4]

In 2006, he went to the United States to study Psychology at Claremont McKenna College.^[5] He received a certificate in Sports Management from the University of California-Los Angeles in 2014 and a certificate in Management Development from the Asian Institute of Management in 2017. Furthermore, he also obtained a certificate in Harnessing Organizational and Individual Capacities for Excellent Services in Local Government Units from the University of the Philippines-Diliman in 2018. He took an executive course in Agriculture Development at the Mariano Marcos State University in the City of Batac in 2021. Lastly, he attended Stanford Graduate School of Business at the National University of Singapore in 2023.

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Manotoc ran as a provincial board member representing the 2nd legislative district of Ilocos Norte in the 2016 Philippine local elections, and won. He was also declared as the Senior Provincial Board Member of Ilocos Norte, which made him the third highest-ranking official of the province. From 2016 to 2019, he was also chairman of the National Movement of Young Legislators – Ilocos Norte Chapter.

In October 2018, Manotoc filed his certificate of candidacy to run for vice governor of Ilocos Norte in the 2019 Philippine gubernatorial elections as the running mate of his grandmother, Imelda Marcos.^[6] However, Marcos withdrew from the race in November 2018 following her graft conviction and Manotoc was named as her substitute.^[7] He then went on to win the race, unopposed after Rodolfo Fariñas withdrew days before the election,^[8] succeeding his mother who successfully ran for senator.

During his first term, the province was ravaged by a tropical storm and, not long after, was confronted by a pandemic. However, despite calamity or crisis, he was still able to carry out his vision of a "healthier" Ilocos Norte,^[9] aided by the outstanding service of frontline personnel and the cooperation of the Ilokano community.

As Governor, Manotoc has been focused on making sure that all Ilokanos are secure and able to support their families, especially in trying times. His efforts in the past years have led to a province that is safe and strong during disasters and a provincial government that is swift in addressing the needs of its people.^[10]

Even before the onset of COVID-19, Manotoc prioritized the streamlining of Ilocos Norte’s health system through the improvement of provincial health facilities by pouring Php 300 million into infrastructure alone. One of these was the timely construction of a medical oxygen refilling plant, which was essential when the pandemic hit.^[11]

Then, he coupled improved infrastructure with more equipment and supplies, amounting to over Php 430 million, and the hiring of professionals to increase the efficiency of health services and meet the increasing medical demands.^[12]

In July 2022, Ilocos Norte ranked 3rd in the country for its vaccination rate.^[13] 94% of the province's target population is now fully vaccinated.^[14]

Mental health and well-being have been at the forefront of Manotoc's response to COVID-19. He founded "Speak Up, I’m Here,"^[15] a mental health center and hotline, which has become a sanctuary for locals who are enduring isolation, pressure, and other difficulties. The Center has serviced clients ranging from adolescents, frontliners, returning residents, and COVID-19 patients in isolation.

His "Search for the Best Mental Health Practices" initiative emphasizes a whole-of-community approach to promoting, protecting, and caring for mental health, in addition to art therapy sessions, mental health break camps, and psychosocial first aid and support training.^[16]

To further preventive healthcare, he urged the establishment of numerous new parks in the province, including many barangay eco-parks where the Provincial Government allotted ₱200,000.00 to each barangay to establish or improve their park with a vegetable farm.^[17]

Ilocos Norte has likewise made progress in agriculture under his leadership. The provincial government’s investments in infrastructure and equipment have bolstered the productivity and profitability of Ilokano farmers.^[18] These include farm-to-market roads; small farm reservoirs; water impounding projects; multi-purpose drying pavements; tractors; combine harvesters; tobacco curing barns; and the critical shift to high-value crops, worth billions of pesos.^[19]

The province was chosen as one of the five pilot provinces in the Philippines to lead extension services in agriculture and fisheries. The Ilocos Norte Agriculture and Fisheries Extension System, as it is known, has strengthened linkages by sharing science-based knowledge and technologies with farming and fishing communities.^[20]

Like in the COVID-19 situation, he ordered the provincial government to be on the ground immediately to contact trace and stem the infections caused by the African Swine Fever. He initiated the provision of relief packs for those who were affected, gave sprayers and disinfectants, facilitated their indemnifications or payouts, allotted budgets for those who were uninsured, and provided alternate livelihoods to secure the livestock sector.^[21]

The Provincial Government recently launched "Agri ka Dito," a flagship program of the Office of the Governor that aims to sustain the activities for the livelihood of community farmers and fisherfolks by providing them with immediate assistance amid the skyrocketing cost of agriculture inputs.^[22] Governor Marcos Manotoc pledges greater support for the stakeholders of the agriculture sector, recognizing their key role in hastening the recovery of this Ilocos Norte economic powerhouse.^[23]

Meanwhile, at the height of the pandemic, the Provincial Board passed ordinances that provided Php 370 million in cash to Ilokanos who were most vulnerable in support of the Governor’s solution-based and people-centered response, in the form of cash-for-work, emergency livelihood assistance, "pay now, work later," interest-free loans, and skills training programs.^[24]

Micro, small, and medium enterprises were provided with financial assistance, micro-financing packages, livelihood starter kits, and equipment. The Provincial Government allocated Php 40 million in cash to local entrepreneurs in 2021 alone.^[25] Marcos Manotoc also waived the Governor’s Developmental Fees for non-essential enterprises that were adversely affected by the pandemic.^[26]

Thousands of tourism workers were supported during the height of the epidemic by the Tourism Livelihood Continuity Program, for which the provincial government spent Php 20 million.^[27]

His efforts toward a safe travel experience paid off when Ilocos Norte became the first and only province to receive a safe travel stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council.^[28] Ilocos Norte was able to develop new tourist attractions such as the Paoay Lake Water Park and several art installations at the Ilocos Norte Sand Dunes, under his helm. Governor Marcos Manotoc also ushered in the new "I’m IN" tourism ad campaign, which pushes Ilocos Norte to the forefront, to carve out its place among the premiere tourist destinations in the country.

Even with all of these innovative programs, the Governor seeks to invest more in the preservation and creation of businesses, jobs, and livelihoods, as well as to support ailing but vital industries, for he now sees more stability in industries and believes businesses are more sustainable. ^[29]

On the other hand, the provincial government invested heavily in over 12,000 tablets for learners, with other priorities including procuring textbooks, hiring special education teachers, and building infrastructure.^[30]

Governor Marcos Manotoc led the rollout of Ilocos Norte’s educational vehicle, or "School-on-Wheels," to bring learning to rural areas for out-of-school youth and adults in the alternative learning system. ^[31] He further worked with the Provincial Board to pass landmark legislation that expanded the "Sirib Scholarship Program" by adding Doctor of Medicine, Arts, Agriculture and Fisheries, Legal, Science and Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics scholarships.

Aside from granting public utility vehicle accident insurance policies, Governor Marcos Manotoc has already distributed increased financial assistance to almost 4,000 drivers, on top of more than Php 40 million in cash aid in 2021 alone, to alleviate their situation and sustain their source of income during the global energy crisis. ^[32]

Marcos Manotoc also seeks to transform Ilocos Norte’s capital a truly pedestrian-friendly biking city and one that does not rely on cars in the city center. Several times, he led the "Bike-to-Work," a cycling activity that aims to encourage employees to embrace environmentally friendly and convenient alternative transportation, especially in the new normal. ^[33]

Behind these achievements, the Governor sustains peacekeeping initiatives such as anti-criminality, anti-illegal drugs, and anti-insurgency campaigns with law enforcement institutions because these have always been crucial in ensuring progress, development, and growth.^[34] With sustained peace and order, he believes that the Ilokano community can thrive, families can achieve their ambitions, and the youth can build on their dreams.

Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc once said that in Ilocos Norte, no matter the crisis, its people have always survived, and ultimately, they have prevailed. The Ilokanos have proven that the true resiliency of Ilocos Norte is not only in its leaders but in its people.

“We have seen that, regardless of the calamity, we stand tough and we stand together. The Ilokano spirit always prevails.”^[35]

In the years to come, Governor Marcos Manotoc envisions a safer, stronger, and more prosperous province—one that illuminates the young, equips the farmer, and empowers the small business owner—a province proud of its past yet fully committed to its future.

He is the grandson of the Ferdinand Marcos|Ferdinand Marcos Sr.]] and former First Lady Imelda Marcos.^[36]

Manotoc is an avid golfer and basketball player.^[5][37] He was a basketball coach at the International School Manila and a co-founder of Espiritu Manotoc Basketball Management.

In 2019, it was reported that he was dating Miss Earth 2014 Jamie Herrell.^[38][39]

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