Leyteños pay their last respects to Romualdez

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines—Virginia Roa, 65, was standing outside the airport as early as 6 a.m. Saturday, waiting for “my governor” to arrive.

But this homemaker from Tacloban was filled with mixed emotions when she saw the hearse bearing the remains of former Leyte governor Benjamin “Kokoy” Romualdez coming out of the Daniel Z. Romualdez airport shortly before noon.

While she was sad at his passing, Roa said she was happy that she was able to see him one last time.

“He (Romualdez) was a good leader because he was responsible for several projects that not only benefited Leyte but the entire region,” she told the Inquirer.

Thousands of people from all walks of life paid their last respects to Romualdez, who was governor of Leyte for 19 years, the longest serving provincial chief executive in Eastern Visayas.

Businessman Philip Romualdez, his wife Alexandra “Sandy” Prieto-Romualdez and sister Marian accompanied the remains of the former governor on board a private plane.

They arrived at the airport, which was named after their uncle Daniel Z. Romualdez, at 11:38 a.m. Among those who received the remains were Romualdez’s elder sister, former first lady and now Ilocos Rep. Imelda Marcos, younger brother Alfredo “Bejo” Romualdez and the latter’s son, Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez.

Romualdez’s wife, Juliette, and children Daniel Romualdez and Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez arrived in Tacloban about an hour earlier.

The glass coffin bearing the late governor’s remains was mounted on a flatbed truck, which was adorned with flowers.

Hundreds of cars, jeepneys and buses joined the convoy to the provincial capitol, about 7 kilometers from the airport. The family members were touched when they saw the thousands of people lining the streets and waving at the procession as confetti rained from a helicopter.

Some of them were students from the family-owned Doña Remedios Trinidad Romualdez Medical Foundation.

Senior Supt. Wilson Caubat, Tacloban City police director, said more than 10,000 people waited along the streets leading to the capitol to see the governor.

“We are really deeply touched by the display of love and affection from the Taclobanons and the Leyteños to papa,” said Martin, who represents Leyte’s first district in the House of Representatives.

The procession arrived at the provincial capitol after 2 p.m. where a Mass officiated by Monsignor Ramon Aguilos was said.

Some 1,000 people gathered at the capitol to hear the Mass for Romualdez, who was credited with starting the development of Leyte when he was governor from 1967 to 1986.

After an hour, the coffin was moved to the Santo Niño Church for a requiem Mass and vigil. The remains were tentatively scheduled to be brought back to Manila on Sunday afternoon. Interment is set on Tuesday.

Speaking before the crowd at the capitol, Philip said his father served the province well by initiating projects that benefited its people.

“And the family is thankful to you for joining us during this time of our bereavement,” he said.

Philip, however, declined to be interviewed.

His wife, Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez, who is the Inquirer president, described her father-in-law as “so loving and very understanding.”

“Everything, I loved everything about him,” she said, adding that he was very fond of his grandchildren.

She also gave him credit for his “immense love” for Leyte and its people.

Romualdez, 81, died after a lingering illness at the Makati Medical Center in Manila on Feb. 21.

Many Leyteños were saddened by the death of Romualdez who initiated projects that spurred development in the province.

One of these projects was the construction of the San Juanico Bridge, which connects Leyte and Samar islands.

Romualdez also initiated the construction of the geothermal power plants in Barangay Tongonan, Kananga town, which serve as the main source of electricity for the Visayas, as well as for the establishment of the Leyte Industrial Development Estate (LIDE) in Isabel town, the only economic zone in the region.

Romualdez was also instrumental in the establishment of the University of the Philippines in Tacloban and the then Visayas College of Agriculture, now the Visayas State University, in Baybay City, one of the best agricultural schools in the country.