Perhaps unknown to many, he was one of the soldiers who landed with Gen. Douglas MacArthur and President Sergio Osmeña in Leyte in 1944. But more on that later.
Antonio Madrigal was born in June 8, 1918 in Ermita, Manila.
In his 1934 Letran yearbook, he stated his motto as "Finis Corronat Opus." His ambition was "to follow the footsteps of my father." He was the son of the late Don Vicente Madrigal y Lopez of Ligao, Albay, a classmate of Manuel L. Quezon in Letran. His mother was Doña Susana Paterno y Ramos. Doña Susana was the moving spirit behind the success of the Madrigal Enterprises. Quezon once said, "I am a successful politician but I have no money; Madrigal is a successful businessman and he is a millionaire." Both Quezon and Madrigal were agraciados (bright working students) serving the Dominican priests in the Mass and in the refectory.
Antonio received his bachelor’s degree at the University of Santo Tomas with Latin honors, magna cum laude. In the same year, he was admitted to practice law by the Supreme Court of the Philippines. He started his government career as junior aide-de-camp of President Quezon while the latter’s administration was in exile. He was also the aide-de-camp with the rank of captain to President Sergio Osmeña Sr.
After the war, he worked to claim the reparation for the war damages suffered in the Philippines by his family’s business.
Don Antonio was a very respectable and dignified industrialist behind companies such as Consolidated Bank and Trust Company, East-Asia Capital Corporation, Susana Realty Incorporated, Rizal Cement Company and Corinthian Gardens.
He was the chairman of the Sergio Osmeña Foundation and director of the Vicente Madrigal Memorial Foundation.
Though born with the proverbial silver spoon, he was humble like his younger brother Jose "Belek". When they studied in Letran from grade school to high school, they were not given special privileges by the Spanish Dominican priests. Tony graduated valedictorian. His contemporaries included radio corporation president Rafael Reyes, Dr. Antonio Molina, Pampanga governor Francisco G. Nepomuceno, and Atty. Apolonio Abola.
He served Mass, donning during special occasions the former Blessed Vicente Liem de la Paz habit, a blue-colored robe with a red chasuble around the neck and a relic of the saint.
Antonio was married to Amanda Abad Santos, daughter of the late martyr Secretary of Justice Jose Abad Santos who refused to swear allegiance to the Japanese. They were blessed with three daughters – Ma. Susana Eduque, Ma. Rosa Gelby and Senator Jamby.
The four daughters of Justice Secretary Abad Santos studied at the Philippine Women’s Unversity and were all varsity swimmers. Amanda was a member of the 1934 Far Eastern Games swimming team representing the Philippines in the 50-meter free style and 100-meter backstroke with sister Luz Abad Santos.
From Letran, Antonio took up law at UST and proceeded to the United States where he was stranded during the outbreak of World War II and where he joined the exile government of Manuel Quezon as a captain. He later joined the Madrigal Cia company dealing with cement and shipping, as well as banking and multiple businesses.
Antonio grew up in the Madrigal compound in Paco on General Luna Street with sisters Macaria de Leon, Pacita Warns, Josefina Bayot, Chito Collantes, Ising Vasquez and Jose "Belek" who was married to Vicky Abad Santos.
During his last days, a Dominican priest said the 11 a.m. Mass on Sundays for the family with Senator Jamby, Susana Eduque and Jana Gelby. Senator Jamby Madrigal says her father’s death may have been hastened when Senator Juan Ponce Enrile attacked him. He passed away quietly at his residence in New Manila. He was a friend of former President Diosdado P. Macapagal and although Senator Jamby belongs to the opposition, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo paid respects to Don Antonio Madrigal.
Even during his last years, Antonio held his office regularly at the Madrigal building in Escolta. He never went to the Jai Alai although it belonged to the Madrigal family. He was a devoted husband and a good father to his three children. Antonio did not enter politics like his father Vicente Madrigal, and his sister Pacita Madrigal who both became senators. Pacita was the author of the Social Security System.
No record of his military service – having landed with Gen. Douglas MacArthur in Leyte – could be found in the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The military honors were delayed until the picture of the landing was presented as proof, which was better.