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C o m m e n c e m e n t S p e a k e r
HON. JOSEPH EJERCITO ESTRADA
Born Joseph Marcelo Ejercito on April 19, 1937, in Tondo, Manila. He is
the eighth of the ten children of Emilio Ejercito and Maria Marcelo. His
upper-middle class family later moved to the wealthy suburb of San Juan,
only to return to Manila later. He was a young adult when he stumbled upon
an acting role and enjoyed the sense of escapism that acting provided him.
Quickly proving his acting mettle, he opted to pursue a career in the movies
in lieu of completing his education. His parents strongly opposed the decision
and forbade him to use the family name. The fledgling actor took the screen
name Joseph Estrada, the latter being the Spanish word for “street.” He also
gave himself the nickname “Erap,” which, when spelled backwards, is a Spanish
term for “pal”.
Over the course of his prolific film career, Estrada morphed into a
major player in the Philippine movie industry, acting in more than 80 films
and produced more than 70 movies. The multifarious roles he has played
included, among others, a jeepney driver, labor leader, and a communist
guerilla. Most of his portrayals were those of a poor man seeking justice. He
received Best Actor and Best Film awards from the Filipino Academy of Movie
Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) five times each, earning him spots in the FAMAS
Hall of Fame in 1981 and 1984, respectively.
When he entered politics in 1967,
his popularity with the audiences translated
to garnering votes in the San Juan mayoralty
elections. He served as duly-elected mayor
for 17 years, during which time he focused
largely on education and health care reform.
In 1972, he was adjudged one of the Ten
Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) in Public
Administration by the Philippine Jaycees. He
was also voted Outstanding Mayor and foremost
Nationalist by the Inter-Provincial Information
Service in 1971 and awarded the coveted title
“Most Outstanding Metro Manila Mayor” the
following year by the Philippine Princeton
Poll.
46 th Commencement Exercises