Overview
The Manibog Law PC story begins over 100 years ago, with the courage of a young college student who dared to dream of pursuing a career in the law in a faraway land. In 1911, Gonzalo Manibog was a university student in the northern Philippine town of Laoag, struggling like many of his classmates to manage school and work. It was a time of uncertainty but also of opportunity in the Philippines, as the Spanish-American War had recently ended with the victorious Americans taking over control of the Philippines from the Spanish. Looking to strengthen cultural ties with its new protectorate, the United States extended invitations for Philippine students to attend university in the United States.
Gonzalo Manibog was one of the few adventurous students who accepted that invitation, and that same year, 1911, he traveled from the northern Philippine town of Laoag, half way around the world, to Indianapolis, Indiana to attend the University of Indianapolis. Six year later, in 1917, he received his law degree from the university, becoming the first Filipino to receive a law degree in the United States. Gonzalo moved to Hilo, Hawaii, where he opened his law practice, representing neighbors, friends and local families.
Gonzalo and his wife raised their family Hawaii, instilling in their children the same principles of service, commitment, integrity and perseverance which had guided Gonzalo on his long journey from a Philippine province to a successful career as an American attorney. One of his sons, Monty Manibog, followed in Gonzalo’s footsteps, graduating from Loyola Law School in 1961. Monty continued his father’s tradition of representing individuals and families in personal injury lawsuits and has enjoyed a distinguished 50+ year career in the law.