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Portrait of Leonila Garcia

Leonila Garcia

1906 – 1994

First Lady of the Philippines

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About Leonila Garcia

Lived 1906 – 1994 (aged 87). Leonila Garcia was a pharmacist.

Leonila "Inday" de la Serna Dimataga-Garcia (July 17, 1906 – May 17, 1994) was a Filipina pharmacist who served as the First Lady of the Philippines. She was the wife of Philippine President Carlos P. Garcia. She assumed the title on March 18, 1957, upon the accession of her husband, who was then-Vice President, shortly after the death of President Ramon Magsaysay.

Garcia was born to a family of politicians. Her father, Bartolome Mangubat Dimataga, was a former mayor of Opon (now Lapu-Lapu City), Cebu, while her mother, Leoncia de la Serna, was a member of the de la Serna family and a sister of another former mayor. Leonila's brother Mariano became the first mayor of Opon following its cityhood and renaming. Another sibling, Rosita was the sister-in-law of Senator Alejandro Almendras. They married on May 24, 1933, and had a daughter together, Linda Garcia-Campos.

As First Lady, Garcia became active in cultural and social activities in line with her husband's Filipino First Policy.

Grave of Carlos P. and Leonila Garcia at the Libingan ng mga Bayani She ran for a Senate seat in 1971, but lost. She died in 1994.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Education
University of Santo Tomas

Family & relationships

Spouse
Carlos P. Garcia

People in Leonila Garcia's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Leonila Garcia's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Leonila Garcia?

First Lady of the Philippines (1906–1994)

When was Leonila Garcia born?

Leonila Garcia was born on 17 July 1906 in Lapu-Lapu.

When did Leonila Garcia die?

Leonila Garcia died on 17 May 1994 in Philippines.

What was Leonila Garcia's occupation?

Leonila Garcia was a pharmacist.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Leonila Garcia

· Wikidata: Q3547438

· DBpedia: Leonila Garcia

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Leonila Garcia. https://biography.guide/leonila-garcia/

MLA: "Leonila Garcia." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/leonila-garcia/.

Chicago: "Leonila Garcia." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/leonila-garcia/.

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