Rafael Corpus
Rafael Corpus (October 24, 1880 – July 21, 1960) was born in San Antonio, Zambales, Philippines. He finished his Bachelor of Arts degree at the Ateneo de Manila University in 1897. He then studied at the University of Santo Tomas and later studied Law at Escuela de Derecho in 1903. He then went to the United States to take up a post graduate course at George Washington University, Washington D.C. in 1905.
He represented the province of Zambales as an Assemblyman in the Third Philippine Legislature in 1912. He was appointed Solicitor General in 1914, a position he held until 1916. He became Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources in 1922. During the so-called Cabinet Crisis of 1923, he, together with other Cabinet Secretaries, resigned en masse over a dispute with Governor General Leonard Wood. He became Chairman of the Philippine National Bank before becoming its President from 1932-1936. He was a member of the first Monetary Board of the Central Bank of the Philippines (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) in 1949. He devoted more than thirty years to public service occupying various other important government positions.
A nephew of the philanthropist Teodoro R. Yangco, he successfully managed the latter’s various business enterprises and became Administrator of his Estate.
He was married to Eluteria Pablo with whom he had six children.
References
- Directorio Biografico Filipino (3rd ed.). Manila: Imp. y Lit. Germania. 1908.
- Stagg, Samuel (1935). Teodoro R. Yangco. Manila: University of The Philippines Press.
- Quezon III, Manuel; Emmanuel, Albano; Ricardo, Jose; Manuel, Martinez; Jeremy, Barus (2007). Assembly of the Nation. Philippines: House of Representatives of the Philippines. ISBN 978-971-92100-3-0.
- The Annual Report of the Governor General of the Philippine Islands for the year ended December 31, 1923. Washington: Washington Government Printing Office. 1923.
- Who’s Who in the Philippines. Manila: Frank Weisshlatl. 1940.
- Isagani A. Cruz (March 12, 2000) SEPARATE COLUMN “The Cabinet Crisis of 1923” Philippine Daily Inquirer
- "Rafael M. Corpus: A life of Total Service" Philbank News (a newsletter of the Philippines National Bank]