Manila, Philippines — Siguion-Reyna, Montecillo & Ongsiako (SRMO), the country’s longest running law firm, celebrates its 125th anniversary in a rare milestone of uninterrupted legal practice in the Philippines. Founded at the turn of the 20th century, SRMO has maintained continuous operations through colonial transition, war, political transformation, economic cycles, and sweeping changes in Philippine law. As it approaches its quasquicentennial year, the firm stands as a singular institution whose history runs parallel to the development of the modern Philippine legal system.
Interwoven With National Leadership
Over 125 years, SRMO has served as a training ground for lawyers who would later occupy the highest levels of public service, jurisprudence, business, and media. Its alumni list reads like a cross-section of modern Philippine leadership.
Among its most prominent former lawyers are three Senate Presidents—Juan Ponce Enrile, Ernesto “Ernie” Maceda, and Edgardo “Ed” Angara—each of whom played pivotal roles in different chapters of the country’s legislative history. Their tenure in public life reflects the firm’s long-standing proximity to the nation’s most consequential policy debates.
The firm’s influence extends beyond politics. SRMO alumni went on to found or lead major law firms and corporations, including Senate President Ed Angara of ACCRA; Antonio Meer of Meer, Meer & Meer; Belo, Gozon & Bravo, whose partners include Felipe Gozon, longtime Chair of GMA Network, and Gilbert Bravo, Chair of UBIX Corporation; Tanjuatco, Factoran, Berenguer & Oreta, whose partners include Jun Factoran, former Secretary of Environment, Babes Oreta, President of Alphaland, and Ed Berenguer, General Counsel of Philippine Airlines, and all of the founding partners of Platon, Martinez, Flores, San Pedro & Leano Law.
In the judiciary and legal education, SRMO’s imprint is equally significant. Arturo “Art” Brion, a former Secretary of Labor, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, and Chancellor of the Philippine Judicial Academy, is among the firm’s most distinguished alumni. Others include Saidamen Pangarungan, former Governor of Lanao del Sur, former Cabinet Secretary for Muslim Affairs, and Chair of the Commission on Elections, as well as George Nograles, founder of De La Rosa & Nograles Law.
A Tradition of Bar Excellence
SRMO has a distinguished history of recruiting multiple Bar Examination Top 1 placers, namely Arlene Maneja (2002), Supreme Court Justice Art Brion (1974), Virgilio Gesmundo (1977) Romulo San Juan (1970), and Deogracias Eufemio (1962), Tomas Matic, Jr (1955), and Manuel Montecillo (1948) alongside numerous Top 10 finishers—underscoring a long-standing culture of legal rigor and professional discipline.
Continuity Across Generations
According to SRMO’s Chairman, Opap Villonco, the firm’s longevity is rooted in stewardship and adaptability. “Our continuity is not accidental,” Villonco said. “For 125 years, the firm has been sustained by a culture of mentorship, ethical lawyering, and stewardship—where each generation understands that it is only a custodian of the firm for the next. Laws evolve, clients change, and history moves forward, but our commitment to excellence and professionalism has remained constant.”
Looking Ahead
As SRMO marks its 125th year, the firm views the milestone not simply as a celebration of longevity, but as a reaffirmation of purpose.
With 125 years of uninterrupted practice, Siguion-Reyna, Montecillo & Ongsiako stands as a benchmark for institutional continuity in the Philippine legal profession.
