Yedda Romualdez

In this Philippine name for married women, the birth middle name or maternal family name is Mendoza, the birth surname or paternal family name is Kittilsvedt, and the marital name is Romualdez.
The Honorable
Yedda Romualdez
Official portrait, 2025
Member of the
Philippine House of Representatives
for Tingog Party List
Incumbent
Assumed office
July 18, 2025
In office
June 30, 2019 – June 30, 2025
Member of the
Philippine House of Representatives
from Leyte's 1st district
In office
June 30, 2016 – June 30, 2019
Preceded byMartin Romualdez
Succeeded byMartin Romualdez
Personal details
BornYedda Marie Mendoza Kittilsvedt
(1973-10-22) October 22, 1973[1]
Cebu City, Philippines
PartyTingog Sinirangan (2019–present)
Lakas (2009–present)
Spouse
​
(m. 1999)​
Children4 (including Ferdinand Martin Jr. and Andrew Julian)
EducationCebu Doctors' College (BS)

Yedda Marie Mendoza Kittilsvedt-Romualdez (Tagalog pronunciation: [ɾoˈmwɐldɛs], born October 22, 1973) is a Filipina politician, beauty queen, and nurse. She is currently serving as the representative of Tingog Party List from 2019 to 2025, and since 2025. She had previously represented Leyte's 1st district from 2016 to 2019. Her four consecutive terms in Congress have been criticized as a potential violation of the Constitution.[2][3][4] She is the wife of Martin Romualdez, who served as the Speaker of the House from 2022 to 2025.

She represented the Philippines at the Miss International 1996 pageant where she placed in the Top 15.

Pageantry

Romualdez first competed in the Supermodel of the World-Philippines pageant in 1991 where she was first runner-up to Lorena Pangan.[5] She competed in the Binibining Pilipinas pageant in 1996 but lost to Aileen Damiles. Instead, she became the country's representative in that year's Miss International competition in Japan, where she placed in the Top 15.[6]

Political career

Romualdez started her stint in politics in 2010 elections, when she ran for mayor of Remedios T. Romualdez in Agusan Del Norte. She ran under the banner of Lakas–KAMPI, and fielded her whole slate with councilor Eleuterio Enriquez serving as her running-mate. She faced the incumbent Nilo Soliva who ran with his team as Independent candidates. Due to the name of the town, she used her maiden name in the ballot, respectively. She eventually lost the election to Soliva, 46.90%–53.10%.[7] Romualdez was the representative of the first district of Leyte in the House of Representatives of the Philippines from 2016 to 2019.[8][9] She is also the first nominee of Tingog Sinirangan (now Tingog) partylist and has served as its representative in Congress beginning in 2019.[10] She was re-elected in 2022 but opted to become the sixth nominee in 2025 with her son Andrew Julian Romualdez as the first nominee.[1] The partylist gained only three seats, effectively ending her term in 2025.[11] However, following the resignation of Tingog's third to fifth nominees (Marie Josephine Diana Calatrava, Alexis Yu, and Paul Richard Muncada), Romualdez was elevated to third nominee and reassumed her seat on July 18, 2025, eighteen days after the end of her previous term.[12]

Personal life

Romualdez' father is from Norway and her mother is from Cebu. She is a niece of actress Pilar Pilapil who was crowned as Binibining Pilipinas-Universe in 1967.[13] She graduated in nursing from the Cebu Doctors' College in Cebu City[5] and is a registered nurse.[6]

She and businessman Martin Romualdez married under civil rites in Hong Kong in November 1999, with a church wedding following at Santuario de San Antonio in Forbes Park, Makati, on February 4, 2001.[14] Martin served as the 24th Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2022 to 2025. Martin currently serves as a congressman from Leyte since 2019.[15] They have four children. Their sons Ferdinand Martin Romualdez Jr., also known as Marty, and Andrew Julian Romualdez are also in politics, having been elected as a councilor of Tacloban and her fellow representative for Tingog Party List in 2025, respectively.[16]

Electoral history

Electoral history of Yedda Romualdez
Year Office Party Votes received Result
Total % P. Swing
2010 Mayor (Remedios T. Romualdez) Lakas–KAMPI 4,003 46.90% 2nd — Lost
2016 Representative (Leyte–1st) Lakas 147,477 73.66% 1st — Won
2019 Representative (Party-list) Tingog Sinirangan 391,211 1.40% 18th — Won
2022 Tingog 886,959 2.41% 3rd +1.01 Won
2025 1,822,708 4.34% 3rd +1.93 Won

References

  1. ^ a b "47. TINGOG" (PDF). Commission on Elections. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  2. ^ "[EDITORIAL] What happened to delicadeza, Yedda Romualdez?". Rappler (in Filipino). Rappler Inc. July 21, 2025. Retrieved August 30, 2025. [S]a profile ng Rappler reporter na si Dwight de Leon, tila may puso ang asawa ni Speaker Martin Romualdez, 'reluctant politician,' at kumpirmadong walang ere — kaya nga mas nakaka-disappoint na mag-circumvent siya ng term limit.
  3. ^ Kontra Daya (July 22, 2025). "Romualdezes gaming party-list system, circumventing 1987 Constitution". Facebook. Meta Platforms Inc. Retrieved August 30, 2025. 'This is further evidence that political dynasties are gaming the partylist system to extend their political power,' said Dr. Danilo Arao, convenor of Kontra Daya.
  4. ^ Banal, Anton (July 24, 2025). "Macalintal: SC or HRET must rule on Yedda Romualdez case". SunStar. SunStar Publishing Inc. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
  5. ^ a b Lo, Ricky. "Will Pia act as sponsor at Vic-Pauleen nuptials?". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  6. ^ a b "Tingog nominee Yedda Romualdez seeks reelection". Manila Standard. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  7. ^ "Certified List of Candidates for Congressional and Local positions – May 10, 2010 National and Local Elections". Scribd. Commission on Elections. January 30, 2010. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  8. ^ Lo, Ricky. "Leyte Rep. Yedda inherits work load from hubby Martin". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  9. ^ Gabieta, Joey A. (2016-05-11). "Former beauty queen Yedda Romualdez wins Leyte congress seat". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  10. ^ "Comelec proclaims Romualdez; Tingog party-list has edge over rival". Manila Standard. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  11. ^ Gabieta, Joey A. (2025-02-08). "Speaker's son replaces mom as Tingog party-list's first nominee". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
  12. ^ Patinio, Ferdinand (July 18, 2025). "Tingog Rep. Yedda Romualdez to be proclaimed as 3rd nominee - Comelec". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
  13. ^ Lo, Ricky. "Beauty (titles) run in the family". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  14. ^ Ramirez, Donnie C. (February 11, 2001). "Fullest blessing on fullest love". Philippine Daily Inquirer. The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. p. F1. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  15. ^ Abella, Lizbeth Ann (October 7, 2021). "Romualdez seeks another term in Congress". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  16. ^ Gabieta, Joey A. (February 8, 2025). "Speaker's son replaces mom as Tingog party-list's first nominee". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
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