Andres Bonifacio College

Former Sec. Of DFA Dr. Alberto G. Romulo to address 69th ABCollege Commencement Exercises

The “pioneer of builder of leaders” will once again let go of the new generation of leaders as the Andres Bonifacio College will hold its 69^th Commencement Exercises on March 28, 2015, 4:30p.m. at the ABCollege Green, College Park, Dipolog City.

Fitting is the monicker itself, a widely respected Filipino statesman, diplomat, politician and leader will grace the said event. The Former Secretary of the Department of the Foreign Affairs Dr. Alberto G. Romulo shall speak before the ABCollege 2015 graduating class as the Guest Speaker.

Dr. Romulo is a native of Tarlac and was born on August 7, 1933. He received his bachelor’s degree in Accountancy at De La Salle University on 1954 and subsequently became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He then took up his Bachelor of Laws in Manuel L. Quezon University which he finished in 1958 and proceeded to take up the doctorate degree in law at University in Madrid and successfully earned it on 1963.

His prolific career in government service started when he was chosen by the late President Corazon Aquino as one of the members of her Economic Team on February 25, 1986, shortly after the EDSA People Power Revolution.

From 1987-1998, Dr. Romulo served as the member of the House of the Senate. He served as the Chairman of Senate’s Committee on Rules and Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies. In 1992 to 1996, he became the Senate Majority Leader. During his five years tenure, major legislations on banking, business and economy, which Sen. Romulo authored or sponsored, were passed. To mention a few: the new Central Bank Act (R.A. 7653), the Revised Social Security System Act (R.A. 7169), the Salary Standardization Law (R.A. 675), the Rural Bank Act (R.A. 735) and the Kalakalan ng 20 Law (R.A. 6810), among many others.

After serving in the legislative branch, he returned to the executive branch after his appointment as Finance Secretary on January 26, 2001 under President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Concurrently, he also served as the Governor of Asian Development Bank and World Bank Group, Alternate Governor of the International Monetary Fund and Chairman of the Land Bank of the Philippines, Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation and Trade and Investment Corporation of the Philippines.

He was then appointed as Executive Secretary on June 8, 2001. During this stint, he handled major crisis and issues anchored on disaster preparation and readiness, the controversial Coco Levy cases and many others. He was also designated as the Chairman of the Cabinet Oversight Committee on Internal Security, NEDA Board Executive Committee and 14 other offices and agencies on disaster operation and relief.

On August 23, 2004, he was appointed as the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and which he would hold until February 25, 2011. Under his leadership as Foreign Secretary, he helped in the passage of the Philippine Archipelagic Baseline Law and secured the nation’s claim in the United Nation for the extended continental shelf in 2009, after almost 3 decades of inaction and paralysis which as a result bolstered our national security and patrimony. He also introduced the issuance of world class Machine Readable Passport and the state-of the-art electronic passport building. He also saw the passage of the Veterans Benefit Enhancement Act in the US Congress after being pending for 60 years.

For his exemplary acts of leadership and utmost dedication in public service, he was a recipient of various awards and citations. He received the Gintong Ama award, was named as the Most Outstanding Senator by the Philippine Free Press, the Federation of Provincial Clubs, Congressweek, the Seanate Radio and Television Press Group and the Philippine Infrastructure Journal. He was, among others, affiliated with the Philippine Institute for Certified Public Accountants (PICPA), Rotary, Jaycees, The Philippine Band of Mercy, the Foundation of Gifted Children and the Philippine Tuberculosis Society. Secretary Romulo was conferred with the prestigious order of Sikatuna, the national order of diplomatic merit, with the rank of Datu on June 19, 2005.

Dr. Romulo is married to Mrs. Rosie Lovely Tecson Romulo and blessed with 5 children; Guadalupe, Montserrat, Roman, Bernadette and Erwin.

More than just a public servant, he was a leader and a trailblazer. For his passion and dedication, he was able to inculcate himself as one of the leading figures of the Philippine government. In view of this, it is an honor for Andres Bonifacio College to have the former Secretary Romulo as the honored guest speaker, for its 69^th Commencement Exercises. (Kevin James Limbaga, Mindanao Observer 3/22/15)

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