Biodata
This website showcases the continuing works of retired Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban — before, during, and after his service in the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
He retired on December 6, 2006, but has remained an active voice in public discourse ever since — sharing his insights on civic life, religion, law, governance, education, economics, and ethics through his columns, books, lectures, and speeches. In these, he continues to reflect on national issues and promote his guiding philosophy of safeguarding liberty and nurturing prosperity under the rule of law.
The website also features a photo gallery that chronicles his personal milestones. It highlights his involvement in civic, academic, philanthropic, and professional activities.
Beyond preserving his legacy as the 21st Chief Justice of the Philippines, this website serves as a living archive. It continues to document his contributions to society and his commitment to public service.
As a Student Leader
In a cramped rented apartment on Cataluna Street, the youngest of four children grew up listening to adult conversations about money that never stretched far enough. The youngest of four children, he was born of impoverished parents who died while he was still in school. To support his early studies at Juan Luna Elementary School and Mapa High School, which are both public schools, he hawked newspapers, peddled cigarettes and shined shoes in the streets of Sampaloc in Manila. Yet, school became a refuge for Art. He studied not because teachers praised him, but because excellence was the only escape route he could see. He graduated with honors from public schools, and was later accepted to the University of the Philippines - Diliman. It seemed, however, that fate brought him to Far Eastern University which later became his proving ground.
During his college days, he sold textbooks to his classmates, and bibles to his professors and university officials. With sheer drive and commitment, he graduated summa cum laude in pre-law, cum laude in law, and in 1959, was named the Most Outstanding Student of the entire university. After finishing his Bachelor of Laws degree cum laude in 1960, he placed sixth in the bar examinations of that same year. A popular campus figure, he was, among others, founder and past president of the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP), and past president of the FEU Central Student Organization.
As a Practicing Lawyer
In 1960, as bar candidates across the country arranged their schedules and rehearsed doctrines late into the night, Art lay flat on a hospital bed. Fever drained his strength, his head throbbed, and his limbs felt heavy. Then his dean arrived, Jovito R. Salonga, and lodged words into Art’s memory: Do not quit. And so, Art rose from the hospital bed and entered the examination hall. Fo four relentless weeks, he endured the bar examinations while ill. Despite all odds, Art’s name appeared among the top 10 — sixth overall, with a rating of 89.55 percent.
A newly-minted lawyer, Art pores over legal casework at the Salonga, Ordoñez, and Associates Law Office. After three years as an assistant in the law office, he formed his own law firm (Panganiban, Benitez, Parlade, Africa and Barinaga), which he headed until he joined the Court in 1995 (The law firm was dissolved when he joined the Court).
He also taught law in three schools. He has been, among others, vice-president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry; governor of the Management Association of the Philippines; president of the Philippine Daily Inquirer; and president of the Rotary Club of Manila. He was the only Filipino appointed by the late Pope John Paul II to the Pontifical Council for the Laity for the 1996-2001 term.
As a Family Man
Art married Elenita “Leni” Alcazar Carpio in FEU. She was thoughtful, precise, intellectually formidable. Where he was urgency, she was balance. Where he pushed, she measured. Their six decades of partnership would anchor him through decades of ambition and uncertainty.
Art and Leni got married on April 8, 1961 at the Immaculate Concepcion Parish Church in Quezon City. They had five children, who all hold graduate degrees from pedigreed US universities, including Harvard, Stanford, University of California, University of Chicago, University of Michigan and Boston University.
RETIRED CHIEF JUSTICE ARTEMIO V. PANGANIBAN
Date of Birth: December 7, 1936
Place of Birth: Manila, Philippines
Sports: Golf and Tennis
ELENITA C. PANGANIBAN
+ (February 29,1940 – April 9, 2023)
Retired professor and former Associate Dean, Asian Institute of Management
MBM, Asian Institute of Management
MA-Statistics, University of the Philippine
BSE, St. Scholastica’s College AB-Math, St. Scholastica’s Collee
MARIA ELENA PANGANIBAN-YAPTANGCO
President and Chief Executive
The Baron Travel Corporation and related companies
MBA, University of California
BSM-Honors Course, Ateneo de Manila University
JOSE ARTEMIO C. PANGANIBAN III
Executive Director, J.P. Morgan, NYC, USA
Ph.D in Engineering Economic Systems and Operations Research, Stanford University, 1999 (Stanford Centennial Awardee)
M.S. in Engineering Economic Systems, Stanford University, 1994
M.S. in Operations Research, “With Distinction,” Stanford University, 1993
Advance Course in Piano, Fortbildungsklasse, Hochschule Fuer Musik, Munich, Germany, 1991
Bachelor of Music, Summa Cum Laude, University of the Philippines
BSME, Honorable Mention, Ateneo de Manila University
MARIA JOCELYN PANGANIBAN-HANNETT
Chief Financial Officer, White Oak Global Advisors LLC, NYC, USA
MBA, University of Chicago, Chicago, USA
BSME, Cum Laude, Ateneo de Manila University
MARIA THERESA PANGANIBAN-MANALAC
Professor, Asian Institute of Management
MBA, University of Chicago, Chicago, USA
BSME, Cum Laude, Ateneo de Manila University
MARIA EVELYN PANGANIBAN-REAGAN
Managing Director, New York Life Investors, LLC, a subsidiary of New York Life Insurance Co., NYC, USA
Master in Public Policy ’96, Harvard University
MA (Economics) ’94, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Courses in International Economics, University of Connecticut, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
BS-Biology, University of the Philippines
John Kennedy High School, Waterbury, Connecticut, USA (top graduate)
As a Civic Leader
In 1990, Art found himself standing at the threshold of an institution older than the Republic he would one day help steady: The Rotary Club of Manila. Rotary tradition in Manila did not reward ambition. It elevated those who topped the open election for the Board of Directors. When Art emerged with the highest number of votes, his first instinct was refusal. So, Art prayed for discernment. When the time came to articulate his presidential vision, he announced a credo that stunned the Club: LOVE GOD. SERVE MAN. No one could recall a Rotary president anywhere who had framed his term so explicitly in theological language. And yet, he has become a trusted steward of Rotarian excellence even after the end of his term.
In the years that followed, he became Chief Legal Counsel for the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), a role that placed him near the moral fault lines of Philippine democracy. By 1992, he was summoned by then President-elect Fidel V. Ramos for a private meeting and was offered the position of Secretary of Justice. He sensed, however, that politics would exact a cost his family and conscience may not be prepared to pay.
His years in civic leadership may be best captured in the following:
- PRESIDENT, Rotary Club of Manila (First and largest Rotary Club in Asia) 1990-1991
- PRESIDENT, Philippine-Finland Association (1991-1995)
- PRESIDENT, RCM Eyebank Foundation, Inc. (1990-1995)
- CHAIRMAN, National Union of Students Alumni Association (1991-1995)
- CHAIRMAN, District Conference of Rotary District 3810 (Feb.28 – Mar. 1991)
- TREASURER, 5th Philippine Rotary Presidents’ Meet, December 14-15, 1990
As a Justice of the Supreme Court
In October 1995, then President V. Ramos appointed Artemio Panganiban Jr. as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
During the eleven years (1995-2006) that retired Chief Justice Panganiban was a member of the Supreme Court, he penned about 1,200 full-length decisions, 100 separate opinions and eleven books, plus several thousand minute resolutions disposing of controversies. For this highly productive feat, he was described by a colleague (Justice Antonio T. Carpio) as “undoubtedly the most prolific writer of the Court, bar none.” According to another colleague, Justice Romeo J. Callejo Sr., “One book a year and no cases left undecided. This is Mr. [Chief] Justice Artemio V. Panganiban’s unsurpassed record. It is also the best summation of judicial reform.” On her part, Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez lauded his “preeminent judicial craftsmanship, social philosophies and literary style…” A “renaissance man… a nobly-souled and gifted jurist” is how Justice (later, Chief Justice) Renato C. Corona described him.
His judicial philosophy crystallized into a simple, audacious premise: the Judiciary must protect liberty and nurture prosperity under the rule of law.
As a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
On December 20, 2005, Artemio Panganiban Jr. ascended to the highest judicial office in the land as Chief Justice of the Philippines. He entered the office without triumphalism, keenly aware that the authority of the Supreme Court does not rest in robes or titles, but in public trust. He took his oath as the 21st Chief Justice of the Supreme Court before President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on December 21, 2005.
From the onset, he framed his leadership around restraint and reform. He championed judicial modernization, transparency, and ethical accountability. Independence of the judiciary, he believed, was not something to be declared loudly; it was something to be practiced quietly, day after day, decision after decision, even when it proved inconvenient or unpopular.
His year as Chief Justice was also busily spent attending to the many and varied concerns of the Judicial Department. Aside from heading the Supreme Court and the entire Philippine judiciary, he concurrently chaired the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) and the Philippine Judicial Academy (PhilJA).
As a Catholic Lay Leader
Art entered FEU with almost no understanding of faith. Catholic by baptism, secular by upbringing, he once failed a scholarship interview because he could not name the persons of the Trinity.
His early encounters at FEU had planted questions of faith followed by reflections. But it was only in the mid-1980s, when he and his wife Leni joined Bukas Loob sa Diyos (BLD), that faith ceased to be theoretical.
Faith soon pulled him into national service. He became secretary of the Council of the Laity of the Philippines, a delegate to the Secondary Plenary Council of the Philippines, and later, the only Filipino appointed by Pope John Paul II to the Pontificial Council for Laity.
- MEMBER, PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR THE LAITY, appointed by Pope John Paul II for a five-year term. During the 1996-2001 term, he was the only Filipino in this Council which was composed of 30 Catholic leaders, chosen by the Pope from various countries to advise him on “all matters involving the Christian life of the faithful.”
- NATIONAL VICE CHAIRMAN (and CHIEF LEGAL COUNSEL), Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), 1993-1995
- SECRETARY, Council of the Laity of the Philippines (CLP), 1991-93
- SERVANT LEADER, Bukas Loob Sa Diyos (BLD) Covenant Community and Chairman, BLD Foundation Inc., 1994-1995
- LAY DELEGATE, Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II), January-February 1991
- MEMBER, BOARD OF TRUSTEES, ACN (Aid to the Church in Need) Philippines, 2019-2021
- MEMBER, BOARD OF TRUSTEES, Philippine Bible Society, 2008-2012
- TRUSTEE, Alumni of Student Catholic Action (1989-90)
- RETIRED SPECIAL MINISTER of Holy Communion, Santuario de San Antonio Parish, Makati City
Post-Retirement Activities
When Art stepped down from the Supreme Court in December 2006, he did not retreat into silence. Retirement, for him, was not an ending but a repositioning.
On April 26, 2007, he was conferred an Award of Honor by the Philippine Bar Association, applauding him as “a principled and visionary leader by example; a prolific writer of the Supreme Court, bar none; a renaissance man and a nobly-souled and gifted jurist; a much sought-after speaker; a recipient of over 250 awards and citations from national and international entities and organizations, including several honorary doctoral degrees; an eminent lawyer, law professor, Catholic lay worker, civic leader and businessman; a scholar imbued with mental dexterity; and, an exemplary family man.”
Recently, Dr. Raul C.Pangalangan, Judge of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, lauded him, “As Chief Justice, he distinguished himself in that he strove to have as much unanimity as possible when the Court faced historic cases, painfully conscious that ‘the least dangerous branch’ speaks loudest when it judges wisely and in one voice.”
Now retired from the judiciary, Chief Justice Panganiban writes a column every Monday at the Philippine Daily Inquirer. His favorite topic is principled and visionary leadership by example, which he believes the country needs to move forward socially, economically and politically. He is also an adviser, consultant and/or independent director of several business, civic, non-government, and religious groups, and a favorite speaker in various fora, round-table discussions, seminars and talk-shows.
As of August 1, 2025, retired Chief Justice Panganiban is an Independent Director of some publicly-listed companies in the Philippines like: Manila Electric Company (Meralco); Petron Corporation; Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT); JG Summit Holdings, Inc..; GMA Network, Inc.; GMA Holdings, Inc.; Asian Terminals, Inc.; and RL Commercial REIT, Inc.
He is also a Non-Executive Director, Jollibee Foods Corp. (listed company); Senior Adviser, Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co.; Adviser, Double Dragon Properties Corp. and Merry Mart Consumer Corp.; and Independent Director of some non-listed companies like Metro Pacific Tollways Corp.; Tollways Management Corporation; Asian Hospital, Inc.; and TeaM Energy Corp.
He is likewise active in civic and educational endeavors as Chairman, Board of Advisers of the Metrobank Foundation; Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Foundation for Liberty and Prosperity and of the Philippine Judges Foundation; Chairman, Philippine Chapter, Asean Law Association; Chairman Emeritus, Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc.; President, Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica Foundation; Trustee, Claudio Teehankee Foundation, Speaker Laurel Foundation and Tan Yan Kee Foundation; and Adviser, World Bank (Philippines); Asian Institute of Management Corporate Governance Center; and Mapa Blue Falcon Honor Society. On August 18, 2017, he was designated Chairman of the Philippine National Group in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands.
ASIAN TERMINALS, INC. (ATI) – Independent Director, Board of Directors; Chairman, Corporate Governance Committee; Member, Nominations Committee
DOUBLE DRAGON PROPERTIES CORPORATION (DD) – Adviser, Board of Directors; Member, Corporate Governance Committee
GMA NETWORK, INC. – Independent Director, Board of Directors; Chairman, Risk Committee; Vice Chairman, Audit Committee; Compensation and Remuneration Committee and Nominations Committee
JG SUMMIT HOLDINGS, INC. – Independent Director, Board of Directors; Member, Corporate Governance Committee; Audit, Related Party Transaction and Risk Oversight Committee
JOLLIBEE FOODS CORPORATION (JFC) – Non-Executive Director, Board of Directors; Chairman, Nominations Committee; Member, Executive Committee; Compensation Committee
MERALCO – Lead Independent Director, Board of Directors; Chairman, Audit Committee; Member, Executive Committee; Related Party Transactions Committee; Risk Management Committee
MERRY MART CONSUMER CORPORATION (MM) – Adviser, Board of Directors
METROPOLITAN BANK AND TRUST COMPANY (Metrobank) – Senior Adviser, Board of Directors
PETRON CORPORATION – Independent Director, Board of Directors; Chairman, Related Party Transaction Committee; Member, Audit Committee; Corporate Governance Committee
PLDT, Inc. – Lead Independent Director, Board of Directors; Chairman, Risk Management Committee; Member, Audit Committee; Executive Compensation Committee; Governance, Nominations and Sustainability Committee
RL COMMERCIAL REIT, INC. – Independent Director, Board of Directors; Chairman, Audit Committee
MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
Arpan Investment and Management, Inc. – Founder and Chairman, Board of Directors
Arpan Air, Inc. – Founder and Chairman Emeritus
The Baron Travel Corporation – Founder and Chairman Emeritus
Pan Philippine Resources Corporation – Chairman, Board of Directors
LOCAL FOUNDATIONS AND NON-PROFIT ASSOCIATION
Foundation for Liberty and Prosperity – Founder and Chairman, Board of Trustees; Chairman, Executive Committee; Member, Corporate Governance Committee, Finance Committee
Claudio Teehankee – Vice Chairman, Board of Trustees
Manila Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica Foundation, Inc. – President and Member, Board of Trustees
Philippine Judges Foundation – Chairman, Board of Trustees
Tan Yan Kee Foundation, Inc. – Member, Board of Trustees; Vice Chairman, Executive Committee
Metrobank Foundation, Inc. – Chairman, Board of Advisers
Association of Retired Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines – President
Philippine Center for Diabetes Educational Foundation, Inc. – Chairman
INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL ORGANISATIONS
ASEAN Law Association or ALA (Singapore) – Vice President, 2018-2023
Permanent Court of Arbitration (The Hague, The Netherlands) – Member (Chairman, Philippine National Group), 2017-2023
LOCAL ASSOCIATIONS AND NON PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
ASEAN Law Association Philippines – Chairman Emeritus, Philippine National Committee
AIM-RVR Center – President
Mapua Blue Falcon Honor Society – Adviser
Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc. – Chairman Emeritus
World Bank Advisory Group – Member
LARGE NON-PUBLICLY LISTED ENTERPRISES
Asian Hospital and Medical Center – Independent Director, Board of Directors
State Investment House, Inc. – Independent Director, Board of Directors
State Properties Corporation – Independent Director, Board of Director
Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) – Independent Advisor; Member, Audit Committee, Finance Committee, Risk, Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Committee
Website Revised on April 1,2026
