His mother, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, is the daughter of the late former President Diosdado Macapagal whose ancestry can be traced to Lakandula.
An expedition of 256 Spaniards and about 2,500 Filipino troops, including the Lakandula of Tondo and his sons, set sail in 59 vessels for Lingayen on the 23rd of March, 1575.