| Gil J. Puyat | |
|---|---|
| 13th President of the Senate of the Philippines | |
| In office January 26, 1967 – September 23, 1972 |
|
| President | Ferdinand Marcos |
| Preceded by | Arturo Tolentino |
| Succeeded by | Abolished, next held by Jovito Salonga |
| Senator of the Philippines | |
| In office December 30, 1951 – September 23, 1972 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 1, 1907 |
| Died | March 23, 1980 (aged 72) |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Political party | Nacionalista Party |
| Spouse(s) | Eugenia Guidote; 7 children |
| Alma mater | University of the Philippines |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Gil J. Puyat (September 1, 1907 - March 23, 1980) was a Filipino businessman and politician who served as a Senator of the Philippines from 1951, and as Senate President from 1967 to 1972.
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Having been exposed to the world of business, Puyat was inevitably drawn to a course in commerce for his higher education. This he pursued at the University of the Philippines where he topped his class. Even as a student, he was already immersed in intricate operations of finance and expense, of capital and production, and of management labor handling.
He became a member of the Rotary Club of Manila at about the same time that he was also a young professor of economics at the University of the Philippines. Puyat's skill in managing the family business caught the eye of the late President Manuel L. Quezon. At the time, the country was predominantly agricultural in activity and the President was advocating industrialization. Quezon named the young Puyat as dean of the College of Business Administration at the University of the Philippines when he was 33, becoming the youngest dean the UP ever had. An active member of international trades bodies, he acquired international stature in business. The Business Writers’ Association of the Philippines voted him "Business Leader of the Year" in 1948 and the Association of Red Feather Agencies voted him "Civic Leader of the Year" in 1949.
In 1953, he received a plaque from the Community Chest of Greater Manila for “ outstanding services as one of the founders, first president and first campaign fund chairman “ of the body. The Philippine Institute of Public Opinion (PIPO) awarded him a certificate of honor for demonstrating national leadership in business, economics, the civic and political fields and for his distinguished service to the youth.
In the Philippine midterm elections of 1951, he was elected Senator and he served in the Philippine Senate until its closure by Martial Law in 1972. From 1967 he was the Senate President.
As a legislator, Puyat created a sensation unmarked in political history by his reforms and innovations involving the dispensation of the controversial public works funds.
He is founder of Manila Banking Corporation (now Chinabank Savings Bank), Manila Bankers Life Insurance Corporation and the Loyola Group of Companies.
He is the third child of Philippine Pioneer Industrialist Gonzalo Puyat and Nicasia Juco. Was trained early in life by his father, Don Gonzalo in the trade of manufacturing billiard tables and bowling alleys. Eventually, assisting in managing the family business of Gonzalo Puyat & Sons (brand holder of AMF-Puyat, Puyat Steel, Puyat Vinyl).
He was married to the former Eugenia Guidote, an accountant and pioneer member of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA), and a trained opera singer (soprano). They had seven children -- Gil, Jr. (deceased), Vicente (deceased), Antonio, Victor, Jesusa, Alfonso and Eugenia, Jr.
In 1978, he was invested as a member of the Order of St. Gregory the Great. He died, 2 years later, on March 23, 1980 due to complications of an asthma attack.
Buendia Avenue, which was formerly named after the Commonwealth Era senator and Aglipayano Nicolas Buendia, is now named after him, but most people tend to use the original name of the road.
| Preceded by Arturo M. Tolentino |
President of the Senate of the Philippines 1967-1972 |
Succeeded by Abolished |