One of her three sons is former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Juliette Romualdez last appeared on the list in 2020, when she ranked 43rd with a fortune of $160 million, before dropping off in the following years.
Before that, she had been a regular fixture in the annual ranking for several consecutive years.
Wealth recovery
Forbes’ wealth history shows her fortune has been on an upward trajectory since 2018, steadily recovering before reaching a new recent high in 2026 and bringing her back onto the list.
Her reappearance makes her one of the newcomers to this year’s ranking, reflecting how shifts in company valuations and investment holdings continue to reshape the country’s wealthiest families.
Family fortune
Romualdez is the widow of the late Benjamin “Kokoy” Romualdez, a former Leyte governor, diplomat and the younger brother of former First Lady Imelda Marcos.
Forbes said her fortune stems largely from the 2012 sale of a minority stake in BDO Unibank, while she also owns a small stake in Benguet Corp., the country’s oldest mining company.
The lastest Forbes list of the 50 richest Filipinos was published on Thursday.
—Edtied by Miguel R. Camus
