MANILA, Philippines — Few figures in 20th-century history command attention quite like Imelda Remedios Visitación Romualdez Marcos. Known globally as the “Iron Butterfly,” the wife of the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., and the First Lady of the Philippines from December 30, 1965, to February 25, 1986, Imelda’s life is a complex narrative weaving together extraordinary privilege, political power, and pervasive controversy. Born on July 2, 1929, in Manila, her story is often told through the lens of her legendary shoe collection or her monumental “edifice complex.” Yet, beneath the veneer of glamour and power lies a tale rooted in unexpected poverty and an unrelenting drive that defined her tenure as First Lady.
From her pivotal role in bringing the Miss Universe pageant to Manila in 1974 to her current status as the matriarch of a restored political dynasty, Imelda Marcos remains an unavoidable, and intensely polarizing, symbol in Philippine history.
II. From Humble Beginnings to the Apex of Power
Contrary to the aristocratic image she later cultivated, Imelda’s family background was fraught with hardship. Though she belonged to the prominent Romualdez clan, her immediate family unit was considered the poorest branch. Her father, Vicente Orestes Romualdez, a barrister, was widowed with five children before marrying Remedios Trinidad, Imelda’s mother, who hailed from a less-affluent, though respectable, background.
Imelda’s childhood was marked by severe economic strain and familial discord. Remedios and her children, including young Imelda, were reportedly unwelcome by Vicente’s first set of children, leading to their forced relocation to a cramped garage. Imelda recounted the profound deprivation of this time, even having to use cardboard as a makeshift sleeping mat, a grim detail highlighted in the book, The Untold Story of Imelda Marcos. Further tragedy struck when her mother died of pneumonia just months after giving birth to her sixth child, intensifying the family’s hardship.
This difficult past was deliberately suppressed upon her rise to power. When she became First Lady, Imelda consciously erased this painful chapter, notably having the very garage where they once lived bulldozed in 1972, shortly after Martial Law was declared.
The Ascent to Manila and Political Marriage
Arriving in Manila in 1952 with reportedly only 50 Philippine pesos in her pocket to pursue formal music studies, Imelda soon sought employment to sustain herself. She worked as a saleslady, using her musical talent—playing the piano and singing—to attract customers. This perseverance ultimately led her to a whirlwind courtship and marriage in 1954 to Ferdinand Marcos, then an ambitious and rising politician. This union marked the true beginning of her stratospheric ascent into the world of politics and opulence.
III. The Reign of the “Edifice Complex” and Cultural Diplomacy
As First Lady, Imelda became the principal face of the Marcos administration’s international image, pioneering a style of “cultural diplomacy” aimed at projecting the Philippines as a modern, elegant, and sophisticated nation on the global stage.
Her obsession with grand, monumental construction—dubbed the “Edifice Complex” by critics—was epitomized by massive cultural projects: the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Manila Film Center, and the Folk Arts Theater. The latter was famously constructed in a near-impossible timeframe of just three months to serve as the venue for the 1974 Miss Universe pageant.
This particular pageant highlighted the extent of her influence and power. To ensure the spectacle was flawless, it is widely reported that then-President Marcos Sr., on his wife’s insistence, deployed the Philippine Air Force (PAF) to engage in cloud-seeding operations. The goal was to disperse a looming typhoon that threatened to ruin the event, a costly and extraordinary measure that allegedly successfully prevented the torrential rains.
Furthermore, in preparation for the parade of beauty queens, Imelda allegedly ordered the removal and bulldozing of undesirable elements, such as shantytowns and squatter settlements, along the parade routes in Manila. This action, designed to mask the widespread poverty that plagued the country, became a potent symbol of the regime’s superficiality and cruelty toward the poor majority.
IV. The Symbol of Extravagance and Allegations of Corruption
The glamorous facade, however, masked deepening controversies, especially after the declaration of Martial Law in 1972. Imelda became a symbol of unchecked power and unimaginable wealth for the Marcos family.
Her lifestyle was characterized by extreme luxury: vast collections of expensive jewelry, designer gowns, and the globally infamous collection of over 3,000 pairs of shoes discovered in Malacañang Palace following the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution.
Beyond her role as First Lady, Imelda held significant political posts, including Governor of Metro Manila and Minister of Human Settlements. These roles provided her with immense control over state resources and massive cultural and infrastructure projects, many of which were criticized as “white elephant projects”—grandiose, non-essential, and bankrolled by the national coffers while the Philippines grappled with crushing national debt.
Legal Battles and Unresolved Cases
Following the downfall of the regime and the Marcoses’ exile to Hawaii, the family faced a barrage of legal challenges worldwide, primarily focusing on graft and ill-gotten wealth. The Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) estimated the family’s illegally amassed wealth to be approximately $10 billion.
In a landmark decision in 2018, the Sandiganbayan (Anti-Graft Court) found Imelda guilty on seven counts of graft for funneling millions of dollars into private Swiss bank accounts during her time in office. However, she posted bail and was not immediately imprisoned, citing age and pending appeals before the Supreme Court—a status that persists today.
Despite decades passing, many cases related to the Marcos regime’s corruption and human rights abuses remain unresolved, with some dismissed due to technicalities or lack of evidence, leaving a painful legacy of unaddressed justice for victims.
V. The Return to Power and Enduring Influence
Defying predictions of political oblivion, Imelda Marcos returned to the Philippines in the 1990s and became politically active, successfully running for Congress, first in Leyte and later in Ilocos Norte. During this period, she skillfully maintained the narrative of the Marcos era as a “Golden Age”—a revisionist history that helped pave the way for the family’s political resurgence.
This decades-long effort culminated in 2022, when her son, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., was elected President of the Philippines, marking a historic return of the Marcos name to Malacañang. For many, this event symbolized the successful political rehabilitation of a family once ousted by a popular uprising; for others, it intensified the deep polarization surrounding their legacy.
Now in her late nineties, Imelda Marcos remains largely out of the public spotlight, though occasional reports surface regarding her health. Following a brief hospitalization for pneumonia in March 2024, President Marcos Jr. confirmed his mother was in “good spirits.” Her 96th birthday in July 2025 was marked by a private family celebration in Ilocos Norte, with her son paying tribute to her “strength, grace, and unwavering love.”
Imelda Marcos continues to be an enigmatic and potent symbol: a complex amalgamation of beauty, extreme power, and profound controversy—a woman who used her charm to build architectural wonders and, simultaneously, became the very face of state excess and alleged corruption. Her life remains an essential, debated, and indelible chapter in the story of the Filipino nation.
