Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Manotoc is engaged!
The son of Senator Imee Marcos and former basketball coach Tommy Manotoc, and nephew of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., proposed to his girlfriend, Jamie Herrell, during their recent holiday.
Jamie is a beauty queen who won the Miss Earth pageant in 2014, representing the Philippines.
She became a news anchor and was seen in the programs One News, One PH, and One Balita, which aired on Cignal TV.
LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP
Jamie and Matthew have been dating for six years before their engagement.
The couple shared photos taken during the proposal on their Instagram accounts, Saturday, January 4, 2025.
"Six years later, in the same place as our first trip together is a nice ribbon to it all," wrote Jamie.
Two of the photos capture Matthew down on one knee, presenting a ring to a visibly surprised and delighted Jamie.
In the comments section, Matthew expressed his gratitude to all well-wishers and humorously asked them to ignore the "fugly slippers" he was wearing during the special moment.
Matthew explained that he was just trying to match Jamie's look, as she preferred not to wear shoes at the time.
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FROM A FRUSTRATED ATHLETE TO POLITICIAN
Matthew was born in Portugal and inherited his father's passion for sports from an early age.
“I grew up playing sports. It’s really my passion. I’m pretty easygoing. I grew up with him, watched him play basketball and golf. He never pushed us into it, but that’s what happened," Matthew, the younger brother of model Borgy Manotoc, told MEGA in an article published in November 2022.
He described himself as a "frustrated athlete" and said he got burned out playing competitive golf, making him abandon his dream of becoming a professional golfer.
Matthew found his calling in managing athletes, co-founding the Espiritu-Manotoc Basketball Management (EMBM) agency with Marvin Espiritu.
Together, they represent local basketball players, assisting them in negotiating contracts with teams, as well as securing sponsorships and brand endorsements.
Matthew first entered politics in 2016 as a provincial board member representing Ilocos Norte's second district.
In 2019, Matthew ran and won as governor of Ilocos Norte, succeeding his mother Imee who won her bid to become senator.
Matthew was re-elected as governor in the 2022 national elections, securing a second term in office.