José María became a senator in 1919, whilst Mariano was elected governor of Iloilo province in Western Visayas region in 1928.

[3] In the 1960s, Arroyo was the publisher of the teen-oriented magazine Teenstone, a publication set up by guitarist Ramon Jacinto and his group the Rioteers.

[4] Arroyo's major project whilst occupying the role of the First Gentleman was the sourcing of funds for the training of Filipino athletes in preparation for the 2005 Southeast Asian Games, for which the Philippines was the host nation.

The former First Gentleman's fragile health has been a public affair since April 9, 2007, when he underwent open heart surgery after being diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm.

The procedure lasted for ten hours but was considered successful, and 22 days after the operation, Arroyo had almost completely recovered and was discharged from hospital.