Senate leaders file reso expressing condolences over Fidel Ramos’ death

MANILA, Philippines — Three Senate resolutions were filed on Monday expressing profound sympathy and condolences of the upper chamber over the death of former President Fidel Ramos.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, and Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda filed their separate resolutions following the death of Ramos.

In his resolution, Zubiri said, “the passing away of a brilliant military man, politician, and statesman is a great loss to the nation.”

Zubiri said the Ramos administration was also known “for instituting economic reforms which drive investments in the country to surge” and for “navigating the Philippine economy during the 1997 East Asia Financial Crisis steering our country’s recovery efforts and turning the Sick Man of Asia into Asia’s Next Tiger Economy.”

“The Ramos administration can also be credited for signing a peace agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front in 1996, putting to an end a 25-year strife roar claimed the lives of more than 120,000 Filipinos, and for bringing the issue of the Spratly’s to the world’s attention,” Zubiri said.

“Even after his retirement from politics, he continued to mobilize the citizenry and pushed for best practices in unity, solidarity, and teamwork in nation-building, and continued to interact with world leaders in various fora and platforms,” the senator added.

READ: Former president Fidel Ramos dies at 94

‘Champion of education reforms’

Villanueva, who previously chaired the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education, said Ramos was a “champion of education reforms.”

“President Ramos was also a champion of education reforms. During his time, the Higher Education Act of 1994 was passed into law, as a part of a broad agenda of reforms in the education sector into three governing bodies, with the Commission on Higher Education in in-charge of matters related to tertiary education,” Villanueva said in his Senate resolution.

“His administration also solidified the place of technical-vocational education in the Philippine education system thru the enactment of the Dual Training System Act of 1994, which combines in-school and in-plant processes of education and training,” the senator added.

The senator pointed out that the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, which Villanueva previously led, was also created.

‘Patriot, statesman’

In Senate Resolution No. 75, Legarda called Ramos a “patriot and statesman” as well as an “outstanding public servant.”

“As the Filipino nation mourns his passing, President Fidel V. Ramos has left a legacy that demonstrated resolute courage, excellent leadership, and unwavering allegiance,” Legarda said in her resolution.

Legarda remembered Ramos as a “distinguished soldier for more than four decades” and praised his programs as a president.

“As President, he promoted people empowerment and global competitiveness. At the start of his term, he initiated measures to end the power crisis that devastated the Filipino people and affected many industries,” Legarda said.

“His social reform agenda addressed the long-standing problems of poverty, jobs and livelihood, health, education and skills training, housing, environmental protection, children and the youth, the elderly and the disabled, women empowerment, agrarian reform, and access to equal opportunity,” she added.

Both resolutions were part of the Senate’s agenda during its session on Monday afternoon.

je/abc