Magnolia Antonino

Magnolia Rodriguez Welborn Antonino (née Welborn; December 14, 1915 – July 22, 2010) was a Senator of the Philippines. The daughter of George Welborn and Hipolita Rodriguez, she was married to Gaudencio Antonino, also a senator.^[1][2]

Early life

Magnolia Welborn was born in Balaoan, La Union, on December 14, 1915, to George Welborn and Hipolita Rodriguez. Her parents were unmarried until December 1919; George was an American.^[1]

Education

Antonino completed combined normal courses from the Philippine Normal School in 1934. She started as a home economics teacher, then became principal at the Balaoan Elementary School, and later worked as a teacher in Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental.^[1]

Political career

Antonino was elected in the House of Representatives as an independent candidate for the first district of La Union in 1965. She ran and won as senator in lieu of her husband who died in a helicopter crash on the eve of the 1967 Senate election. After her election, her senatorial eligibility was contested at the Senate Electoral Tribunal in 1971 by outgoing senator Camilo Osías, who unsuccessfully contended that Antonino was a United States citizen, when in fact her parents were unmarried at her birth, thereby she had the same Philippine citizenship as her mother.^[1]

Personal life

She was married to Gaudencio Antonino of Jaen, Nueva Ecija. The couple had four children, including Nueva Ecija 4th district congressman Rodolfo "Rody" Antonino and two-time General Santos mayor Adelbert W. Antonino.^[1]