Teresita Lazaro (politician)

The Honorable Teresita S. Lazaro
16th Governor of Laguna
In office January 30, 2001 – June 30, 2010
Vice Governor	Gat-Ala Alatiit (2001) Dan Fernandez (2001-04) Edwin Olivarez (2004-07) Ramil Hernandez (2007-10)
Preceded by	Joey Lina
Succeeded by	E.R. Ejercito
Vice Governor of Laguna
In office December 20, 1992 – January 29, 2001
Governor	Restituto Luna (1992–95) Joey Lina (1995–2001)
Preceded by	Restituto Luna
Succeeded by	Gat-Ala Alatiit
Member of the Laguna Provincial Board from the 2nd district
In office June 30, 1992 – December 20, 1992
Vice Mayor of Calamba, Laguna
In office February 2, 1988 – June 30, 1992
Mayor	Jesus Miguel Yulo
Succeeded by	Severino Lajara
Member of the Calamba Municipal Council
In office March 26, 1986 – February 1, 1988
Personal details
Born	Teresita F. Santiago (1942-11-18) November 18, 1942 (age 82) Calumpit, Bulacan, Commonwealth of the Philippines
Political party	PDP–Laban (2012–present)
Other political affiliations	Lakas–CMD/Lakas–Kampi–CMD (2004–12) PMP (2001–04) LDP (1995–2001) NPC (until 1995)
Spouse	Angelito L. Lazaro Sr.
Children	2
Residence	Calamba, Laguna
Alma mater	Far Eastern University
Occupation	Businesswoman, politician
Profession	Educator

Teresita Santiago Lazaro (born November 18, 1942) commonly known as Ningning Lazaro is a Filipina educator, businesswoman, and politician who served as the governor of Laguna^[1] from 2001 to 2010. Previously, she served as Vice Governor of the province from 1995 until 2001, member of the Laguna Provincial Board from the 2nd District from 1992 until 1995, Vice Mayor of Calamba, Laguna from 1988 until 1992, and the member of the Calamba Municipal Council from 1986 until 1988.

Lazaro started her career in public service from 1964 to 1974 as a public elementary school teacher in Cabuyao and later in her hometown Calamba. Her notable achievement in business became the prime factor in her appointment as municipal councilor of Calamba by President Corazon C. Aquino in 1986.

This was followed by her election as Calamba's vice mayor in 1988 to 1992. “Shooting like a bright star” in the 1992 elections, she was voted overwhelmingly as member of the Laguna Provincial Board representing the 2nd district of Laguna, comprising the municipalities of Calamba, Los Baños, Bay, and Cabuyao.

With the death of Governor Felicisimo San Luis in 1992, then-Board Member Lazaro assumed the post of vice governor since she had most recently topped the list of elected board members. In 1994, she was suspended by Sandiganbayan for three months for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act by converting agricultural land into a residential area, allegedly for personal gain.^[2]

In the 1995 elections, Vice Governor Lazaro teamed up with then-Senator Joey Lina, who ran for governor. The tandem won unanimously and both were once again re-elected during the 1998 elections. When President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo appointed Governor Joey Lina in 2001 as secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Vice Governor Lazaro was elevated to the governorship. She took her oath as Laguna's first female governor on January 30, 2001.

She ran for her first full term as governor in the 2001 elections, but was once disqualified over allegations of using government funds to promote her candidacy.^[2] However, her disqualification was later denied by the Supreme Court of the Philippines, upholding a Commission on Elections resolution ruling that her actions as governor were not equivalent to election campaigning.^[3] Thus, she was officially declared as the winner in the Laguna gubernatorial race during the election, where she won by a landslide. This was followed by her re-election for her second term in 2004 and her last and final term in 2007. Her term as governor ended in 2010. She was succeeded by Pagsanjan Mayor E.R. Ejercito, nephew of former president Joseph Estrada.

In the 2013 elections, she attempted a comeback to politics by running for representative of the 2nd district of Laguna. However, she lost to outgoing Calamba Mayor and former representative Jun Chipeco.