Grace Poe is a Filipino politician, businesswoman, educator, and philanthropist who has served as a senator since 2013.
She is the adoptive daughter of the late movie icon Fernando Poe Jr. and the veteran actress Susan Roces.
She is also the wife of Teodoro Misael Llamanzares, a former US Air Force veteran and a chief information officer at San Miguel Corporation.
Grace Poe
Grace Poe was born on September 3, 1968, in Jaro, Iloilo City, Philippines. She was found abandoned in the holy water font of the Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral by a woman named Sayong Militar, who later gave her to Tessie Ledesma Valencia, a wealthy heiress of a sugar baron from Bacolod.
Then, Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces adopted Grace, who named her Mary Grace Natividad Sonora Poe. She grew up with her half-sister Lovi Poe, an actress.
Grace Poe studied at the University of the Philippines Manila, where she majored in development studies. She then moved to Boston College in Massachusetts, United States, where she finished a degree in political science.
She worked as a teacher, a procurement officer, and a product manager in various institutions in the US. She also helped manage her father’s movies, who was known as the King of Philippine Cinema.
In 2004, her father ran for the Philippine presidency against the incumbent, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, but was defeated in a controversial election marred by fraud and cheating allegations.
He died of a stroke on December 14, 2004, which devastated Grace and her family. She returned to the Philippines in 2005 to be with her mother and to pursue her father’s rights over the election results.
She also renounced her US citizenship and became a Filipino citizen again.
In 2010, she was appointed by President Benigno Aquino III as the chairperson of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), where she advocated for intelligent media viewership and implemented a new age-appropriate rating system.
In 2013, she ran for a seat in the Philippine Senate as an independent candidate affiliated with the Team PNoy coalition of Aquino.
She won the election with over 20 million votes, the highest number ever received by a senatorial candidate in Philippine history.
She became the chair of various Senate committees, such as Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, Public Information and Mass Media, Public Services, and Economic Affairs.
She also authored and sponsored several bills and resolutions on various issues, such as the Freedom of Information Act, the Free Lunch Program, the Film Tourism Act, the Anti-Distracted Driving Act, and the National Feeding Program Act.
In 2016, she ran for president again, this time as an independent candidate with Senator Francis Escudero as her running mate.
She faced several legal challenges regarding her citizenship and residency, which the Supreme Court eventually dismissed.
She campaigned on inclusive growth, anti-corruption, and good governance. She placed third in the election, behind Rodrigo Duterte and Mar Roxas, with 9.1 million votes.
She conceded defeat and congratulated Duterte while vowing to continue her service as a senator.
Her Husband
Teodoro Misael Llamanzares, also known as Neil, was born on May 13, 1969, in Manila, Philippines.
He is a natural-born Filipino who held American citizenship from birth until April 2016, when he renounced it to support his wife’s presidential bid. He is a United States Air Force veteran, where he served from 1988 to 1991.
He later worked for Science Applications International Corporation, a US-based company that provides services and products to government agencies and private sectors.
He also worked for San Miguel Corporation, one of the largest and most diversified conglomerates in the Philippines, as a chief information officer of its telecommunications division.
Neil met Grace as a high school student at Assumption College in Makati. They became friends and eventually fell in love. They married on July 27, 1991, in a simple ceremony at the Sanctuario de San Jose Parish in Mandaluyong.
Grace chose love over career, even though her father did not fully approve of her marriage to a foreigner. They moved to the US, where they lived in Fairfax, Virginia, for 12 years. They returned to the Philippines in 2005 after the death of Grace’s father.
Their Love Life
Grace and Neil have been married for 30 years and have maintained a strong and happy relationship despite the challenges and pressures of their personal and professional lives.
They have been each other’s best friend, confidant, and partner and shared their joys and sorrows, successes and failures, hopes and dreams.
Grace and Neil have also been romantic and affectionate to each other, and they have celebrated their love in various ways.
They renewed their vows twice, once in 2011 at the Manila Cathedral and once in 2021 at the Sanctuario de San Jose Parish, where they first married.
Their Children
Grace and Neil have three children, all grown up and successful in their fields. Their eldest son, Brian Llamanzares, was born on July 29, 1991, in Washington, DC, where his father was stationed as a US Air Force personnel.
He is a journalist and a businessman who has worked as a reporter for CNN Philippines and as a chief strategy officer for Tron, a blockchain-based platform.
He is also the founder and CEO of Time Master Watches, a Filipino watch brand that promotes Filipino craftsmanship and culture.
He graduated from Ateneo de Manila University with a political science degree and studied at Columbia University in New York as a scholar. He is engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Jessica Rodriguez, a lawyer and a beauty queen.
Their second child, Nikka Llamanzares, was born on October 16, 1994, in Fairfax, Virginia, where the family lived for 12 years.
She is a fashion designer and a stylist who has worked with various celebrities and personalities in the Philippines.
She is also a blogger and a social media influencer who shares her passion for fashion, beauty, and lifestyle.
She graduated from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde with a degree in fashion design and merchandising, and she also studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. She is currently in a relationship with her boyfriend, Miguel Cruz, who is a model and an actor.
Their youngest child, Hanna Llamanzares, was born in Fairfax, Virginia, on June 6, 1998. She is a singer and songwriter who has released several singles and albums under the stage name Hanna.
She is also a student and an athlete who plays volleyball for the University of the Philippines Lady Maroons.
She is pursuing a sports science degree at the University of the Philippines Diliman, where she also serves as the women’s volleyball team captain. She is currently single and focused on her studies and music career.
Career
Grace and Neil have achieved remarkable feats in their respective careers, spanned different fields and industries.
Grace has been a senator since 2013, and she has been one of the country’s most influential and respected lawmakers.
She has authored and sponsored several bills and resolutions that have addressed various issues and concerns of the Filipino people, such as education, health, transportation, public information, economic development, and good governance.
She has also been a vocal advocate for the rights and welfare of the poor, the marginalized, and the oppressed, and she has also been a staunch critic of corruption and abuse of power.
She has also been a presidential candidate twice, in 2016 and 2022, and she has been considered one of the most viable and qualified contenders for the highest office in the land.
Neil has been a chief information officer at San Miguel Corporation since 2010, and he has been responsible for the planning, implementation, and management of the company’s information technology and telecommunications systems.
He has also been instrumental in developing and innovating various company products and services, such as broadband, mobile, and satellite communications, as well as digital and e-commerce platforms. He has also been involved.
