Jose Miguel Arroyo


José Miguel Arroyo y Tuason, also known as Mike Arroyo, is a former First Gentleman of the Philippines. A lawyer by profession, he is the husband of former president and house speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He is the first and only male spouse of a President of the Philippines and Vice President of the Philippines.

Family

Arroyo's great-great-grandparents were Ignacio Arroyo and Doña María Pidal, who had three children: Maria Beatriz del Rosario Arroyo ; José María Arroyo; and Mariano Arroyo. José María became a senator in 1919, whilst Mariano was elected governor of the western province of Iloilo in 1928. Senator José María Arroyo and his wife, Jesusa Araneta-Lacson of Negros Occidental, produced seven children, one of whom was Ignacio Lacson Arroyo.
Ignacio subsequently married Lourdes Zaragoza Tuason and had two sons, José Miguel and his brother, Ignacio Arroyo, Jr.
José Miguel wed María Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal in 1968, and the couple has three children: Juan Miguel ; Evangelina Lourdes ; and Diosdado. Luli married former investment banker and director of the Ayala Foundation, J. Aloysius "Luigi" Bernas on November 5, 2008 in Tagaytay Highlands.

Public life

Arroyo's major project whilst occupying the role of the First Gentleman was the sourcing of funds for the training of Filipino athletes in preparation for the 2005 Southeast Asian Games, for which the Philippines was the host nation. Beyond that, not much else is known.

Health

The former First Gentleman's fragile health has been a public affair since April 9, 2007, when he underwent open heart surgery after being diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm. The procedure lasted for ten hours but was considered successful, and 22 days after the operation, Arroyo had almost completely recovered and was discharged from hospital. However, Arroyo's health since 2007 has been described as "questionable", with serious abdominal pains resulting in an emergency landing in 2008, and another heart-related hospital visit in 2010.

Controversies

During the period his wife's rule, Arroyo became the main target of attacks, including those against his wife's administration, and his alleged involvement in a corruption scandal led him to opt for voluntary exile as a management technique.