Imelda Marcos Quotes & Sayings

If you know how much you've got, you probably haven't got much. — Imelda Marcos

I will come up with a project that will wipe out poverty in the Philippines in two years. I want to remove the people from economic crisis by using the Marcos wealth. Long after I'm gone, people will remember me for building them homes and roads and hospitals and giving them food. — Imelda Marcos

They call me corrupt, frivolous. I am not at all privileged. Maybe the only privileged thing is my face. And corrupt? God! I would not look like this if I am corrupt. Some ugliness would settle down on my system. — Imelda Marcos

They've listed my name in the dictionary - 'Imeldific' is used to mean ostentatious extravagance ... But the truth will prevail. — Imelda Marcos

My dreams have become puny with the reality my life has become. — Imelda Marcos

I really had no great love for shoes. I was a working First Lady; I was always in canvas shoes. I did nurture the shoes industry of the Philippines, and so every time there was a shoe fair, I would receive a pair of shoes as a token of gratitude. — Imelda Marcos

The Reagans were dear friends for many years, even when he was governor of California. Nancy appreciated a lot of Philippine-made things. — Imelda Marcos

I am my little people's star and slave. When I go out into the barrios, I get dressed because I know my little people want to see a star. Other presidents' wives have gone to the barrios wearing house dresses and slippers. That's not what people want to see. People want someone they can love, someone to set an example. — Imelda Marcos

Ferdinand was a gold trader. He was a lawyer for mining companies. When he entered politics in l949, he had tons and tons of gold. When Bill Gates was a college dropout, Ferdinand already possessed billions of dollars and tons of gold. It wasn't stolen. — Imelda Marcos

We practically own everything in the Philippines. — Imelda Marcos

My grandchildren are growing up and they could not understand why the Marcoses are still being crucified although we keep on telling them that we did not steal from the Filipino people. — Imelda Marcos

I have no weakness for shoes. I wear very simple shoes which are pump shoes. It is not one of my weaknesses. — Imelda Marcos

I have never been a material girl. My father always told me never to love anything that cannot love you back. — Imelda Marcos

The Philippines is in a strategic position. It is both East and West, right and left, rich and poor. We are neither here nor there. — Imelda Marcos

Life is not a matter of place, things or comfort; rather, it concerns the basic human rights of family, country, justice and human dignity. — Imelda Marcos

Doesn't the fight for survival also justify swindle and theft? In self defence, anything goes. — Imelda Marcos

It is not expensive to be beautiful. It takes only a little effort to be presentable and beautiful. But it takes some effort. And unfortunately people think of beauty as luxury, beauty as frivolity, ... or extravagance. Beauty is a discipline, beauty is art, is harmony, in the ideological sense and in the theological sense, beauty is God and love made real. And the ultimate reach in this world is beauty. — Imelda Marcos

I beg Osama to stop warring. He is a Muslim, and Islam means peace. Nobody wins in a war ... I wish I were tapped in the problem about Iraq. I knew Saddam enough that I could have talked him into surrendering. But it's too late. — Imelda Marcos

I love everybody. One of the great things about me is that I have a very positive attitude. — Imelda Marcos

The Philippines is where Asia wears a smile. Beautiful products can only be made by happy people. — Imelda Marcos

In the material world, where everything is valued, when you commit yourself to God, beauty and love, it can be mistaken for extravagance. — Imelda Marcos

Why should people be afraid that we use a few small pellets of uranium at the nuclear power plant in Bataan? Don't they know that we're surrounded by uranium? We have the world's fourth largest deposits of uranium. Yes, we're all radioactive
must be the reason why we have so many faith healers! — Imelda Marcos

I'm like Robin Hood. I rob the rich to make these projects come alive ... not really rob. It's done with a smile. — Imelda Marcos

I get so tired listening to one million dollars here, one million dollars there, it's so petty. — Imelda Marcos

Funny, I never shopped. Even my jewelry not a piece of my jewelry I bought for me. — Imelda Marcos

People say I'm extravagant because I want to be surrounded by beauty. But tell me, who wants to be surrounded by garbage? — Imelda Marcos

Filipinos want beauty. I have to look beautiful so that the poor Filipinos will have a star to look at from their slums. — Imelda Marcos

I am First Lady by accident. I was not elected by the people but here I am. — Imelda Marcos

I hardly can sleep. I feel that my target now is really to save Mother Earth for humanity. And it's doable. — Imelda Marcos

If you know how rich you are, you are not rich. But me, I am not aware of the extent of my wealth. That's how rich we are. — Imelda Marcos

I get my fingers in all our pies. Before you know it, your little fingers including all your toes are in all the pies. — Imelda Marcos

If the shoe fits, buy it. — Imelda Marcos

I am beyond logic and rationality. — Imelda Marcos

The only rich person is a person who is rich in spirit. I have no money deposit. I have only beauty deposit. — Imelda Marcos

It's the rich you can terrorize. The poor have nothing to lose. — Imelda Marcos

President Marcos was investing in precious metals long before he entered politics. — Imelda Marcos

They need a role model. They need a star! — Imelda Marcos

The problems with First Ladies is that you have to set the standard. My role is to be both star and slave. — Imelda Marcos

More than life, I value vindication. When you are at peace with the truth and you know that you are on the side of the right and God is on your side, you are not afraid of anything, including jail. — Imelda Marcos

It is shallow people who think beauty is frivolous or excessive. If you are bringing beauty and god, you are enriching the country. Rice feeds the body, books feed the mind, beauty feeds the soul. It is one thing I can really be proud of and stand tall in the world. — Imelda Marcos

My dreams were always small and puny. All I ever needed was a little house with a little picket fence by the sea. Little did I know that I would live in Malacanang Palace for 20 years and visit all the major palaces of mankind. And then also meet ordinary citizens and the leaders of superpowers. — Imelda Marcos

When they see me holding fish, they can see that I am comfortable with kings as well as with paupers. — Imelda Marcos

I always say you can never be extravagant with beauty. Beauty is God made real. Beauty is life. — Imelda Marcos

Continuous persecution of widows and orphans is a crime. Even the Bible says there is a specific place in hell for those who oppress widows. — Imelda Marcos

I will not say sorry and be pardoned for doing a godly act. — Imelda Marcos

Never dress down for the poor. They won't respect you for it. They want their First Lady to look like a million dollars. — Imelda Marcos

I would have to ask the public to choose between a culture of hate or a culture of love. I am sure our poor will pick the latter. With the Marcos assets, we could regain this value of sharing love with one another. — Imelda Marcos

Our opponent [Cory Aquino] does not put on any make up. She does not have her fingernails manicured. You know gays. They are for beauty. Filipinos who like beauty, love and God are for Marcos. — Imelda Marcos

Perception is real, truth is not. I'm not fighting for money and possessions. I'm fighting for something more precious. I pray that as we enter the cyber age
the Age of Transparency
the facts and the truth will out. — Imelda Marcos

It is terribly important to do certain things, such as wear overembroidered dresses. After all, the mass follows class. Class never follows mass. — Imelda Marcos

The Marcos era was the golden time for the Philippines. We had the lowest crime rate in the world in Manila and real development then. At last, people are starting to understand this. — Imelda Marcos

My husband does not like me to give interviews because I say too much. No talk, no trouble. — Imelda Marcos

I hate ugliness. You know I'm allergic to ugliness. — Imelda Marcos

You know, not even your British Queen is called just Elizabeth - she's Elizabeth the Second. There's only one Imelda. — Imelda Marcos

I did not have three thousand pairs of shoes, I had one thousand and sixty. — Imelda Marcos

I was no Marie Antoinette. I was not born to nobility, but I had a human right to nobility. — Imelda Marcos

The problem of the world today is the people talk on and on about democracy, freedom, justice. But I don't give a damn about democracy if I am worried about survival. — Imelda Marcos

Beauty is not extravagance; beauty is life. — Imelda Marcos

I do not have 3,000 pairs of shoes, I have 1,060. — Imelda Marcos

God is love. I have loved. Therefore, I will go to heaven. — Imelda Marcos

Win or lose, we go shopping after the election. — Imelda Marcos

Filipinos don't wallow in what is miserable and ugly. They recycle the bad into things of beauty. — Imelda Marcos

They went into my closets looking for skeletons, but thank God, all they found were shoes, beautiful shoes. — Imelda Marcos

I have a different way of thinking. I think synergistically. I'm not linear in thinking, I'm not very logical. — Imelda Marcos

What's wrong with shoes? I collected them because it was like a symbol of thanksgiving and love? — Imelda Marcos

The Philippines is a terrible name, coming from Spain. Phillip II was the father of the inquisition, who I believe died of syphilis. It is my great regret that we didn't change the name of our country. — Imelda Marcos