President Aquino leads nation in paying tribute
to the late DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo
President Benigno S. Aquino III joined the
entire Filipino nation in paying tribute to the late Interior and Local
Government Secretary Jesse Robredo who was laid to rest in his hometown of Naga
City in Camarines Sur on Tuesday.
In his eulogy delivered during the state funeral
rites for the late Secretary at the Basilica Minore de Nuestra Señora de
Peñafrancia in Naga City, the President extolled the hard work, dedication, and
love that Robredo displayed as a humble public servant working towards the betterment
of his countrymen and as a family man providing for the needs of his wife and
three daughters.
“Talaga pong huwarang lingkod-bayan si Jesse,
nakatuon palagi sa kapwa at handang magsakripisyo. Sa lahat ng mga nakakausap
ko, siya ang taong walang kapasepasensya sa bola. Kay Jesse, what you see is
what you get. Tahimik at masipag siyang nagtatrabaho. Hindi siya nagpadala sa
kapangyarihan. Sa kabila ng naabot niya, nanatiling simple ang kanyang
pamumuhay, hindi nalalayo sa karaniwang taong napakalapit sa kanyang puso,” the
President said.
He lauded Robredo’s work ethic of always aiming
to finish any given task way before its intended time of completion. A trait,
the President said that Robredo exercised as mayor of Naga City and as head of
the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
“Bukod sa mabait, matino, at mahusay si Jesse,
mabilis din siyang umaksyon. Lahat, ASAP (as soon as possible) sa kanya; hindi
niya ugaling patagalin sa mesa ang mga magagawa naman ngayon. Kung kayang
simulan, sinisimulan niya agad,” the President stressed.
“Hindi lang ang mag-anak ni Robredo ang nawalan
ng Padre de Familia... pati ang buong DILG, ang mga nagtatrabaho sa field, ang
lahat ng natulungan niya, ang buong Naga, parang nawalan ng ama. Kaya nga po bukod
sa kalungkutan, matinding panghihinayang din ang nararamdaman ko ngayon,” he
added.
The President also praised Robredo’s dedication
as a family man, who always had time for his family.
“Sagrado sa kanya ang oras kasama ang pamilya.
Palagi siyang nagmamadaling makauwi sa Naga,” the President said.
In closing, the President quoted a passage from
the Holy Bible culled from the Letters of Paul to Timothy, Chapter 4, Verses 6
to 7: “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at
hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the
faith,” saying this passage defined the late Secretary.
“Angkop na angkop po ito kay Jesse – mission
accomplished na siya sa mundong ito. Marapat lang na matamasa na niya ang mga
gantimpala ng isang buo at mabuting buhay sa piling ng Diyos Ama. Nasa hanay na
po si Jesse ng mga bayaning sumusubaybay sa atin mula sa kalangitan, at
nagbibigay-lakas sa atin upang ipagpatuloy ang kanilang mga mabuting gawain,”
the President said.
“Kaya’t huwag na po tayong lumuha. Sa halip,
magpasalamat tayo sa maikling panahong narito siya sa mundo, tayo po ang
nabiyayaan ng pagkakataong makapiling si Jesse Manalastas Robredo,” he
concluded. (rck)
President Aquino confers on the late DILG
Secretary Jesse Robredo the Philippine Legion of Honor
President Benigno S. Aquino III conferred on
Tuesday the Philippine Legion of Honor with the rank of Chief Commander
(posthumous) on the late Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo,
who died in a plane crash off the coast of Masbate on August 18.
The Philippine Legion of Honor is considered the
highest award the President can bestow on an individual without the need for
approval of Congress.
The award was conferred on the late Secretary
Robredo for his achievements as Secretary of the Department of the Interior and
Local Government (DILG) and as Mayor of Naga City, according to a citation read
by Secretary of Budget and Management Florencio B. Abad during the conferment
ceremonies.
"For being an advocate, as Mayor of Naga
City from 1988 to 1998 and again from 2001 to 2010, and Secretary of Interior
and Local Government, of true and transformative change which led to a
revitalized city and a vibrant culture of transparency, accountability, and
people empowerment," the citation said.
"For being a mentor to public servants who
are likewise supportive of change; for choosing to tread the straight and
righteous path, even at the risk of political persecution, instead of taking
the easy and crooked road of the unprincipled," the citation continued.
"For institutionalizing a virtuous cycle in
the Department of the Interior and Local Government by establishing a full
disclosure policy and seals of good housekeeping in local governments,"
the citation further said.
Before he was named as Interior and Local
Government Secretary, Robredo was a multi-awarded local chief executive of Naga
City. Under his leadership, Naga transformed into the premier city of the Bicol
Region.
Robredo was an Edward Mason Fellow and a
graduate of Masters in Public Administration at the John F. Kennedy School of
Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. He completed his
Masters in Business Administration at the University of the Philippines,
finishing at the top of his class as university and college scholar. He was an
alumnus of the De La Salle University, having obtained undergraduate degrees in
Industrial Management Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.
The late Secretary Robredo joined San Miguel
Corporation's Magnolia division after his graduation from De La Salle in 1980.
Returning home to Naga City in 1986, he was named Program Director of the Bicol
River Basin Development Program, an agency tasked to undertake integrated area
development planning in the region's three provinces.
In 1988, he won his mayoralty bid in Naga,
making him the youngest Philippine city mayor at the age 29. He would later
serve the city for an unprecedented six 3-year terms as local chief executive.
Cited in 1999 by Asiaweek Magazine for
transforming Naga City from a lethargic Philippine city into one of Asia's Most
Improved, Robredo energized the bureaucracy, dramatically improved
stakeholdership and people participation in governance, in the process
restoring Naga to its preeminent position as a premier city of the Bicol
Region. Today, Naga is considered a model local government in the country and a
laboratory of local government innovation.
In recognition of his skills and competence as a
leader and development manager, his peers elected Robredo as president of the
League of Cities of the Philippines in 1995, the national association of city
mayors. He was also elected chairman of the Regional Development Council, the
regional planning and coordinative body of Bicol's six provinces and seven
cities, from 1992-98. Since 1995, he also was chair of the Metro Naga
Development Council.
In recognition of his work, Robredo received 14
major individual awards, including the 2000 Ramon Magsaysay Award for
Government Service, the 1996 Outstanding Young Persons of the World (TOYP)
Award, the Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines (TOYM), 1998 Konrad
Adenauer Medal of Excellence as Most Outstanding City Mayor of the Philippines
and the first ever “Dangal ng Bayan ” Award of the Civil Service Commission. In
March 2008, he was conferred an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree by the Far
Eastern University in Manila.
A trustee of Synergeia Foundation, a national
advocacy group for education governance reforms, Robredo was a member of the
Liberal Party of the Philippines and a prime mover behind the Kaya Natin!, a
national movement that seeks to bring genuine change and ethical leadership in
the country. (js)
‘Legion of Honor Award affirms my husband’s
commitment to public service,’ says Leni Robredo
Lawyer Leni Robredo received Tuesday the
Philippine Legion of Honor award bestowed on her husband, the late Interior and
Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, which she said is an affirmation of
the late DILG Secretary’s life and work as a dedicated public servant.
“I accept this Legion of Honor award with deep
respect and gratitude. This award recognizes my husband’s achievement in public
service, an affirmation of his life and work. I am honored, ...our entire
family is honored,” Mrs Robredo said in her acceptance message after receiving
the award from President Benigno S. Aquino III.
At the same time, Mrs. Robredo thanked the
President for all the assistance that his administration extended to the
Robredo family, including the space and time he gave for them to grieve.
She likewise extended her gratitude to
Transportation and Communication Secretary Mar Roxas, Budget Secretary
Florencio Abad and Rep. Jun Abaya who were Robredo’s close friends when he was
still alive.
Mrs Robredo also thanked Social Welfare and Development
secretary Dinky Soliman, Presidential Communications Development and Strategic
Planning Office Secretary Ramon Carandang, Presidential Spokesman Edwin
Lacierda, Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras, Presidential Peace Adviser
Teresita Deles and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.
Robredo’s widow also recognized the help and
contributions by other members of the Aquino Cabinet, the rescue teams and
divers, the local officials of Masbate and Naga City, and all the people
involved in the rescue operation.
President Aquino conferred posthumously the
Philippine Legion of Honor with the rank of Chief Commander on Robredo who died
in a plane crash off Masbate on August 18 while flying home from Cebu.
The award, which is the highest a sitting
president can bestow without congressional approval, was given after the
funeral mass at the Basilica Minore de Peñafrancia on Tuesday.
The award is given to Robredo "for being an
advocate of true and transformative change leading to a revitalized city, of
transparency, accountability and people empowerment," according to the
citation read by Budget Secretary Abad.
In giving the award, the President cited
Robredo’s life achievement as head of the Department of Interior and Local
Government and mayor of Naga City. (as/2:17pm)
