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Born on January 14, 1906, Emilio Abello was the third of five children of Dr. Manuel Abello of Iloilo and Rosario Montilla of Negros. After finishing his elementary and high school studies from a public school in Isabela, he was accepted at the University of the Philippines as a law student.

Emilio graduated in 1929, with Emilio as Class Salutatorian. He passed the bar that same year, with Emilio placing fifth. His career started soon after with Emilio joining the Paredes, Buencamino and Yulo Law Office as assistant attorney. Elisa joined the law firm of his uncle, Jose Gutierrez-David, where her work often brought her around Pampanga, Nueva Ecija and Tarlac area. Within two years, Emilio and Elisa were married in Bacolor. They first kept house in Cabanatuan, where Elisa’s father served as a judge.

When Emilio joined the government service as assistant attorney in the Bureau of Justice, the Abellos moved to Manila in 1934. In 1937, he was promoted Assistant Solicitor General and in 1940, he became the youngest undersecretary of Justice at age 34. He later served as Executive Secretary to two presidents, Roxas and Quirino, and also taught law in several Manila universities.

Elisa, on the other hand, had to put her lawyering career aside to raise a family that would come to include five children, all boys: Manuel (a UP and Harvard law graduate), Emilio Jr. (a doctor), Jose Maria, Roberto and Eduardo. But she was kept busy with her involvement in many club endeavors, becoming a committee chairman of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines, Vice President of the Civic Assembly of Women in the Philippines, member of the National Federation of Women’s Clubs, President of ZONTA Club and Head of the Discipline of Spanish-European Language at the U.P. As an envoy’s wife, she had to organize social events and attend countless foreign service functions, meet her international counterparts while projecting the culture of the Philippines and that of her home province Pampanga, of which she was well-known for.

The Abellos enjoyed a long and remarkable career as top level diplomats (Amelito Mutuc replaced him as Ambassador in September 1962). After his ambassadorial stint, Emilio served as Chairman of Meralco in the early 70s and was elected assemblyman of the Interim Batasang Pambansa in 1978. The Don Emilio Abello Energy Efficiency Awards are given out yearly in his name. He passed away on 18 May 1982, while his widow carried on with her socio-civic interests and advocacies for the rest of her life.