Vicente Formoso

Formoso was born in Aparri, Cagayan on April 5, 1892, to Gabriel Formoso and Eduarda Pablo. He obtained his bacherlor's degree from the Colegio de San Juan de Letran in 1909, a law degree from the La Jurisprudencia school in 1912, and a master's in law from Georgetown University in Washington DC in 1914. After travelling extensively abroad, he returned to the Philippines and passed the Philippine Bar Examination in 1916, subsequently working as a lawyer in his home province.[1]

Formoso first worked in government as acting provincial prosecutor of Isabela for a few months in 1918. He was later elected to the Aparri Municipal Council.[1] In 1925, he was elected to the House of Representatives of the Philippines representing the 1st District of Cagayan for the Nacionalista Party. He served until 1931[2] and afterwards was elected governor of Cagayan, serving from 1931 to 1937.[3] While governor, he was selected by the governor's league to join the Philippine Independence Mission to the United States led by Manuel Quezon in 1934. During his tenure, he was responsible for the expansion of the port of Aparri and the town's seawall.[1]

From 1939 to 1941, Formoso served in the Commonwealth National Assembly as an adviser and secretary to Speaker José Yulo. After the Second World War, he was appointed as President of the National Tobacco Corporation from 1947 to 1950 and was a director of Philippine Air Lines and the Philippine National Bank from 1951 to 1953.[1]

He was married to Estrella Romillo and had five children.[1]