In May 2022, a Filipino political family that had been driven out of Malacañang Palace in the People Power Revolution of 1986 returned to it — through democratic election. Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., universally known as Bongbong Marcos or simply BBM, was sworn in as the 17th President of the Philippines on 30 June 2022. He is the son of the late Ferdinand Marcos Sr., who governed the Philippines for 21 years from 1965 to 1986. Behind every campaign poster sits one of the most documented family stories in Southeast Asian political history — a deposed dictator father, an internationally infamous First Lady mother, three sisters and a brother, a corporate-lawyer wife from another political dynasty, and three sons who have begun their own careers in politics.

The Family's Roots: The Ilocos North Political Dynasty

The Marcos family traces its political identity to the northern Filipino province of Ilocos Norte, the traditional Marcos political fiefdom for nearly a century. The Marcos family of Sarrat, Ilocos Norte, has been politically prominent in that region since the early twentieth century. Bongbong's paternal great-grandfather was a town magistrate; his grandfather Mariano was a Philippine senator.

Bongbong himself was born on 13 September 1957 in Manila, the second of four children of Ferdinand and Imelda.

His Father: Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. — The 10th President of the Philippines

Ferdinand Edralin Marcos Sr. (11 September 1917 – 28 September 1989) served as the 10th President of the Philippines from December 1965 to February 1986. He declared martial law in September 1972, ruled by decree for nine years, and was driven from office during the People Power Revolution in February 1986, departing for Hawaii with his family in U.S. Air Force aircraft. He died in Honolulu in September 1989 without ever returning to the Philippines.

His Mother: Imelda Romualdez Marcos — The First Lady from Leyte

Imelda Romualdez Marcos, born 2 July 1929 in Tolosa, Leyte, was the First Lady of the Philippines for 21 years and remains one of the most internationally recognised political figures in Southeast Asian history. She held cabinet-level positions during the Marcos years, including Governor of Metropolitan Manila and Minister of Human Settlements. She is famous globally for her shoe collection. She returned to the Philippines in 1991, served four terms in the Philippine House of Representatives, and continues to live in Manila in her nineties.

His Siblings

Bongbong is the second of four siblings:

Maria Imelda "Imee" Marcos, born 12 November 1955, is the eldest. She has been Governor of Ilocos Norte (1998–2007 and 2010–2019) and a Senator since 2019. She is one of the most influential politicians in northern Luzon.

Bongbong is the second child.

Irene Marcos Araneta, born 16 September 1960, married into the Araneta family of Negros, one of the Philippines' great sugar-aristocracy families. She has stayed largely out of formal politics.

Aimee Marcos Manotoc, born 22 January 1980, is the youngest sibling — Imelda's adopted daughter — and is a musician with the band ManilART.

His Wife: Liza Araneta-Marcos — The Corporate Lawyer

Maria Louise "Liza" Cacho Araneta-Marcos, born 5 February 1960, is a practising corporate lawyer at the firm of Araneta Mendoza & Papa. She is the daughter of Jose Araneta (a son of the prominent Araneta business-and-political family of Negros).

Bongbong and Liza were married in 1993 in a Catholic ceremony. She has been a discreet First Lady, focused on her continuing law practice and on quiet support for educational and cultural causes.

Their Sons: Sandro, Joseph, and Simon

Bongbong and Liza have three sons:

Ferdinand Alexander "Sandro" Araneta Marcos, born 27 May 1994, is the eldest. He studied at the London School of Economics and the University of Pennsylvania. He was elected to the Philippine House of Representatives in 2022, representing Ilocos Norte's 1st district, while his father was running for president — making him the next generation of the Marcos political family.

Joseph Simon Araneta Marcos, born 17 December 1995, the middle son, has chosen a private life so far.

William Vincent "Vinny" Araneta Marcos, born 8 May 1997, is the youngest. He is a sound engineer and music producer, working primarily in the music industry rather than in politics.

The Marcos Family Tree at a Glance

Family Origins

  • Marcos family of Sarrat, Ilocos Norte (paternal)
  • Romualdez family of Leyte (maternal)
  • Multi-generational political dynasty

Parents

  • Father: Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. (11 September 1917 – 28 September 1989) — 10th President of the Philippines (1965–1986)
  • Mother: Imelda Romualdez Marcos (b. 2 July 1929) — First Lady; Member of Congress

Siblings

  • Imee Marcos (b. 12 November 1955) — Senator of the Philippines; former Governor of Ilocos Norte
  • Bongbong Marcos (b. 13 September 1957)
  • Irene Marcos Araneta (b. 16 September 1960) — married into Araneta family
  • Aimee Marcos (b. 22 January 1980) — adopted; musician

Bongbong Marcos

  • Born Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., 13 September 1957, Manila
  • Worth School (UK); Oxford University (Special Diploma, Social Studies); Wharton School (MBA, did not complete)
  • Vice-Governor and Governor of Ilocos Norte; Member of the Philippine House and Senate
  • Defeated in 2016 vice-presidential race (to Leni Robredo)
  • 17th President of the Philippines from 30 June 2022

Wife: Liza Araneta-Marcos née Araneta

  • Born 5 February 1960
  • Corporate lawyer
  • Married Bongbong in 1993

Children

  • Sandro Marcos (b. 27 May 1994) — Member, Philippine House of Representatives (Ilocos Norte 1st District)
  • Joseph Simon Marcos (b. 17 December 1995) — private life
  • Vincent Marcos (b. 8 May 1997) — sound engineer / music producer

The Restoration to Malacañang

Bongbong's path to the presidency was a 36-year journey of political rehabilitation. After returning to the Philippines from Hawaii in 1991, he served in local and national political roles for three decades — Governor of Ilocos Norte, Congressman, Senator. He ran for Vice President in 2016 and lost narrowly. He ran for the presidency in 2022 in a tandem with Sara Duterte (daughter of outgoing president Rodrigo Duterte) and won decisively with 31 million votes — the largest margin of any Philippine presidential winner since the restoration of democracy in 1986.

He was inaugurated on 30 June 2022 and serves a six-year term until June 2028.

What the Marcos Family Story Teaches Us

The Marcos story is the modern Southeast Asian dynastic family story written at the largest possible scale. A grandfather who was a senator. A father who was president for 21 years. A mother who is one of the most globally recognised First Ladies of the twentieth century. A sister who is a Senator. A son who is a Congressman from the family's home district. A daughter-in-law from another political dynasty. Four generations of one family in Philippine politics, with a 21-year interregnum from 1986 to 2022 in the middle.

For every family — large or small, famous or otherwise — the Marcos story carries the same lesson. Family histories include both exile and return, both defeat and restoration. The years in Hawaii from 1986 to 1991 are part of the Marcos family tree as much as the years in Malacañang. The years your own family spent away from where it started — the migrations, the displacements, the eventual returns — belong on the tree too. Write them down.

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