Angelica Amante-Matba is a Filipino registered nurse and politician who has served multiple terms as governor of Agusan del Norte province since 1995. She was also a member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines representing Agusan del Norte's 2nd congressional district. Amante-Matba holds a master's degree in public administration and started her political career at age 25 as the youngest provincial governor. She has switched between the roles of governor and congresswoman over the years. Amante is a close ally of President Rodrigo Duterte, who has publicly admitted having feelings for her in the past.

1. 18th Congress of the
Philippines

2. Angelica Amante
Maria Angelica Rosedell Malbas Amante-Matba (born April 16,
1970), is a Filipino registered nurse and politician currently
serving as the governor of Agusan del Norte, a position she
previously held from 1995 to 2004 and from 2013 to 2019. She
was also a member of the House of Representatives of the
Philippines representing Agusan del Norte's 2nd congressional
district.

3. Early life and education
Amante-Matba was born and raised in Cabadbaran, Agusan del
Norte.[4] She is the daughter of former Executive Secretary and
Congressman Edelmiro Amante and former Cabadbaran Mayor
Rosario Malbas-Amante. Her brother Erlpe John Amante is also
a politician.[5]

4. She took up nursing at St. Luke's College of Nursing,
Trinity University of Asia in 1991. She passed the
licensure examination for nursing in 1991 and the
California State Board Exam in Nursing in 1994. She also
holds a masters degree in public administration
from Father Saturnino Urios University in Butuan.

5. Political career
Amante-Matba started her political career as the governor of Agusan
del Norte serving three consecutive terms from 1995 to 2004. At the
time, she was the youngest provincial governor assuming office at
only 25 years old.[6] From 1995 to 1998, she was the chairperson of
the Regional Development Council of Caraga.[7] From 1998 to 2001,
she was elected as the secretary of the Confederation of Provincial
Governors, City Mayors and Municipal Mayors League Presidents of
Mindanao of the Mindanao Economic Development Council
(MEDCO).

6. Due to constitutional provisions that limit gubernatorial
terms of office to only three consecutive terms, in
the 2004 elections, Amante-Matba ran for congress and
won a seat in the House of Representatives
representing Agusan del Norte's 2nd congressional
district.[8] She served for one term before running as
mayor of Butuan in 2007 which she lost to
incumbent Democrito Plaza.[9]

7. In 2010, she ran for congress again while her brother ran for
governor. They both won their respective races. In 2013 and
2016, Amante-Matba and her brother swapped their positions
wherein the latter served as congressman while Amante-Matba
served governor.[10][7] They won and Amante-Matba served as
governor until 2019. She ran and won again the congressional
seat in 2019 and served for one term before returning as
governor in 2022.

8. 2016 presidential elections
Amante is a close ally of President Rodrigo Duterte. She was
once quoted by President Duterte as the girl who he has love
at first sight. President Rodrigo Duterte admitted publicly that a
governor from Mindanao whom he once fell in love with was one
of his supporters during the campaign.

9. Personal life
Amante is married to Tawi-tawi congressman Rashidin H.
Matba.[16][17]
On March 27, 2015, she survived an ambush attempt at Nasipit,
Agusan del Norte perpetrated by members of the New People's
Army.