Speaker Sonny Belmonte: Stronger, better at 75 & his greatest success

The purpose of life is a life of purpose.   — Robert Byrne

Speaker Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte Jr. today celebrates his 75th birthday as one of the country’s most respected statesmen, a Christian civic leader, the most outstanding mayor of Quezon City, an award-winning journalist, a lawyer, poetry and music aficionado, book and art lover, coin collector, a working student in his youth, a good family man.

SB’s Greatest Success

More than all his multifarious political, civic and other accomplishments, I believe Sonny Belmonte’s greatest success is that of being a successful father.

Finding his star: Sonny Belmonte and wife, STAR co-founder Betty Go Belmonte

He and his late wife, Philippine STAR co-founder Betty Go-Belmonte, successfully raised four humble, hardworking and talented children who are now continuing their public service commitments in diverse fields — eldest child Isaac is STAR editor in chief; second child Kevin is Philstar.com president and Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) director; third child Miguel is the president and chief executive officer who built up the Star Group of Publications and turned it into the Philippines’ leading print media group; and only daughter Joy is dynamic Quezon City vice mayor and Congressional Spouses Foundation, Inc. chairperson.

A Working Student, Award-Winning Reporter & Self-Made Man

The Speaker was born on Oct. 2, 1936 as Feliciano Racimo Belmonte Jr. to. Judge Feliciano Belmonte, Sr. from Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija, and his wife, teacher Luz Racimo from Vintar, Ilocos Norte. His birthplace was the Emmanuel Hospital in Manila near an eskinita in Sampaloc where his parents resided in the 1930s.

He grew up and studied well in Zaragoza in Nueva Ecija, Baguio City, Manila and Albay, before enrolling at San Beda College for his third year high school studies. It was at San Beda where he started his passion for journalism and became news editor of The Bedan school paper with future House Speaker Ramon “Monching” Mitra, Jr. as its editor in chief. He was also an honor student and a youth leader.

Success story: Sonny and Betty with their children Kevin Belmonte, now Philstar.com president and DBP director; Miguel Belmonte, STAR president and CEO; Isaac Belmonte, STAR editor in chief; and Joy Belmonte-Alimurong, Quezon City vice mayor

While a working student going to law school, the young Sonny Belmonte started working at the Manila Chronicle with a salary of P60, which could be advanced at P2 a day. He was eventually assigned to cover one of Manila’s best and most charismatic leaders, the late Mayor Arsenio Lacson.

The hardworking reporter Belmonte’s first bylined story was on the killing of Manuel Monroy, principal witness to the bribery case against a top Cabinet member. He also recalled writing about a band of killers in Manila’s Tondo district called the “Greasegun Gang.” A highlight of his journalistic career was when he won the Stanvac Journalism Award from the National Press Club in 1957.

Outstanding Law Student, Civic Leader Here & Abroad

One of Sonny’s unforgettable teachers in law school was the legendary nationalist Senator Claro M. Recto, who taught him Civil Procedure. Recto told the class that Sonny was the smartest student he ever had and gave him a final grade of 100 percent, which was even contested by the Education Department and which Recto defended.

He would later pass the 1960 Bar examinations with high grades — 94 percent in Political Law, 93 percent in International Law and Land Registration and Mortgages, and with a general weighted average of 85.55 percent which was then one of the highest among that year’s batch of examinees.

A natural leader since his youth, Sonny Belmonte was elected president of the Manila Jaycees in 1971 and the Philippine Jaycees in 1973. In the Jaycees World Congress in Amsterdam, Netherlands, he was elected president of the Jaycees International for 1976, besting three frontrunners from Belgium, Australia and Puerto Rico.

Turnaround Expert, Progressive Political Leader

Hard worker: As a cub reporter, his first byline appeared on his report of a controversial witness to the bribery case of a top Cabinet member.

In 1986, Sonny Belmonte was appointed by then President Cory C. Aquino as head of several financially ailing government corporations, which he successfully turned around and made profitable. He served as president of GSIS, Manila Hotel, Philippine Airlines and head of other institutions. His success as a turnaround expert would prepare him well for public service in politics as legislator and as mayor.

As mayor of Quezon City, Sonny Belmonte or “SB” upheld prudent fiscal management, reforms, improved the business environment, modernized infrastructures and pushed socio-economic development in the city with the largest population in the whole country.

Today one of the highest-ranking political leaders of the Philippines due to his being a decisive leader of the House of Representatives with 286 legislators, Speaker Sonny Belmonte at 75 years old is in the forefront of efforts to strengthen Philippine political democracy, good governance and a more globally-competitive free enterprise economy.

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HHouse party: The well-respected Speaker with colleagues at the House of Representatives