President Marcos has honored First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos this Mother's Day with a short message recognizing her strength, compassion, and dedication to defend their family.

In an Instagram post on Sunday morning, May 12, the President said he and their three children were fortunate to have First Lady Liza by their side.

"To this dear lady, who not only fills our home with love but stands ready to defend her family at any turn—happy Mother’s Day!" he wrote.

"We are incredibly lucky to have you by our side. Your strength and compassion not only safeguard our family but also uplift our entire nation," he added.

Before becoming the First Lady, Liza, known by her initials LAM, was a very private person. She was a lawyer, a professor, and a devoted mother of three sons Ferdinand Alexander (Sandro), Joseph Simon, and William Vincent (Vinny).

LAM was born on August 21, 1959, in Manila, to athlete Manuel “Manolet” Ledesma Araneta Jr. and Milagros Azaola Cacho.

She graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University with a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in 1981 and subsequently earned her law degree from the same university in 1985. In 1989, Liza enrolled in post-graduate classes in Criminal Procedure at New York University.

Her love story with President Marcos started in New York during his mother's trial. Despite being from opposing political backgrounds, they started getting to know each other and eventually got married at the San Francesco Convent in Fiesole, Italy, on April 17, 1993.

LAM was a lawyer at Marcos and Associates, her law firm which she eventually dissolved when President Marcos won the presidency in 2022.

Parenting style

In several interviews, First Lady Liza said her kids call her "mother smother" because of how she "smothers" them. She described her parenting style as "chill."

"My parenting style? I think I'm a chill mom," she told TV host Boy Abunda in 2022.

"I only ask from my kids to be honest. In the morning they have to wake me up and go, 'Hi, flawless pearl,'" she added.

In April 2024, LAM said in an interview with broadcaster Anthony Taberna that she doesn't meddle in her kids' affairs. She doesn't even push them to get married or tell her their girlfriends' names but makes an effort to be nice to them.

"I always make it a point to be nice to the girlfriends, really. [I] go out of my way so that they won't make takas (sneak behind my back)," she said.

However, there's only one thing that First Lady Liza wants from her children's girlfriends— for them to be respectful like how she raised her kids.

"I always say you have to greet. You always have to greet when you enter the room. Don't make bastos (disrespect) my son," she said.

"My kids mabait naman (are kind). Wala pa akong narinig may binugbog sila. Lahat sila nagtatrabaho (I haven't heard that they have beaten up someone. All of them have jobs). They're very respectful," she added.

She admitted, though, that she sometimes loses her temper with the three boys.

"I do have a temper, even with these kids," she told Abunda in 2022.

"Si Bong (President Marcos) doesn't shout or scream. Ako (Me) I do when I'm mad," she added.

Malacañan's mother

According to the First Lady, her main job is to ensure that the people surrounding her husband, President Marcos, are trustworthy.

"Your only purpose is to make sure that your husband is surrounded by good people. And that's what I do," she said.

LAM takes charge of the maintenance of the Palace. She overlooks the state of the halls, holding rooms, and the kitchen.

Based on the First Lady's page on President Marcos' website, among the projects she spearheaded in Malacañan were the rehabilitation of its gates, the museums, the presidential library, and the presidential guest house.

She also supervised the transformation of the Palace reception hall, office areas, the kitchen, the staff canteen, and the staff's sleeping quarters.

Outside the Palace, some of the projects that the First Lady is deeply involved in are the Pasig River rehabilitation project called "Pasig Bigyang Buhay Muli" and the Lab For All project which aims to deliver medical services to different parts of the country.