Ferdinand was a gold trader. He was a lawyer for mining companies. When he entered politics in l949, he had tons and tons of gold. When Bill Gates was a college dropout, Ferdinand already possessed billions of dollars and tons of gold. It wasn't stolen.

Filipinos don't wallow in what is miserable and ugly. They recycle the bad into things of beauty.

The problems with First Ladies is that you have to set the standard. My role is to be both star and slave.

The Marcos era was the golden time for the Philippines. We had the lowest crime rate in the world in Manila and real development then. At last, people are starting to understand this.

My dreams were always small and puny. All I ever needed was a little house with a little picket fence by the sea. Little did I know that I would live in Malacanang Palace for 20 years and visit all the major palaces of mankind. And then also meet ordinary citizens and the leaders of superpowers.

We practically own everything in the Philippines.

You know, not even your British Queen is called just Elizabeth - she's Elizabeth the Second. There's only one Imelda.