Dr. Joaquin Gonzalez

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Dr. Joaquin Gonzalez (1856-1900) was a member of the Malolos Congress that wrote the Malolos Constitution, the first Philippine constitution, after the country declared independence from Spain in 1898. He was one of the delegates representing the province of Pampanga.

On October 19, 1898, Dr. Gonzalez was designated as the first Rector/President of the Universidad Cientifico-Literaria de Filipinas (the forerunner of the University of the Philippines) by Philippine President Emilio Aguinaldo. The university had faculties of civil and criminal laws, as well as medicine and surgery.¹

Dr. Gonzalez was a Spanish mestizo born out of the union of Fausto Lopez (from Valladolid,Spain) and Maria Amparo de los Angeles Gonzalez (from Baliuag, Bulacan). He was trained as a doctor of Medicine in Spain at the Universidad Central de Madrid.

He married Florencia Rodriguez Sioco (1860-1925) and had ten sons, namely, Fernando, Jesus, Emilio, Augusto (father of former Secretary of Education Andrew Gonzalez), Octavio, Virgilio, Javier, Bienvenido (6th President of the University of the Philippines), Joaquin and Fausto (former Congressman of Pampanga).

Dr. Gonzalez died of acute appendicitis in Malate, Manila in 1900.

References:

1. Agoncillo, Teodoro A., ANG PILIPINAS AT MGA PILIPINO, NOON AT NGAYON (The Philippines and the Filipinos, Then and Now), Garotech Publishing, Quezon City, Philippines, 1980.