Luwalhati Antonino

In this Philippine name for married women, the birth middle name or maternal family name is Lopez, the birth surname or paternal family name is Ricasa, and the marital name is Antonino.

Luwalhati R. Antonino
Antonino, circa 2020
Chairperson of the Mindanao Development Authority
In office September 12, 2010 – September 9, 2016
President	Benigno Aquino III Rodrigo Duterte
Preceded by	Jesus Dureza
Succeeded by	Datu Abul Khayr Alonto
Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from South Cotabato's 1st District
In office June 30, 1992 – June 30, 2001
Preceded by	Adelbert Antonino
Succeeded by	Darlene Antonino Custodio
Personal details
Born	Luwalhati Lopez Ricasa (1943-10-22)22 October 1943 Upi, Cotabato, Philippines
Died	30 October 2023(2023-10-30) (aged 80)
Political party	Independent (2001-2023)
Other political affiliations	LAMMP (1998-2001) Lakas-NUCD (1992-1998)
Spouse	Adelbert W. Antonino
Children	Darlene Antonino Custodio Eliza Bettina R. Antonino
Alma mater	University of Santo Tomas New York University

Luwalhati Lopez Ricasa-Antonino (October 22, 1943 – October 30, 2023) was a Filipino politician who was the chairperson of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), the highest public post in Mindanao. She was part of President Benigno S. Aquino III's Cabinet, holding the rank of a national secretary.

Political career

Antonino served as the representative of the 1st District of South Cotabato for three terms (9th to 11th Congress) from 1992-2001 .Within these years, she also served as the president of the Mindanao Lawmakers Association (MLA), a 50-member Mindanao bloc in Congress.

While in Congress, Luwalhati Antonino held the chairmanship for the Foreign Affairs Committee, and the vice-chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee.

Antonino was appointed MinDA chair by the President in September 2010, replacing Jesus Dureza. She was the first woman to ever take the helm of the government's principal planning and coordinating agency in Mindanao.

Personal life and death

Antonino was born in Upi, North Cotabato, and raised in Kiamba, Sarangani Province. Antonino was married to former representative and former mayor of General Santos, Adelbert Antonino. She is also the mother of former representative and former city mayor of General Santos, Darlene Antonino Custodio and restaurateur Eliza Bettina R. Antonino.

Antonino earned her degree in B.S. Chemical Engineering at the University of Santo Tomas and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in Economics at New York University. After obtaining her master's, she was hired as an economic and statistical analyst at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in New York.

Luwalhati Antonino died on 30 October 2023, at the age of 80.