MY SIMPLE TRIBUTE TO "POGI"

I am a BICOLANO. I am proud to be one.. But I am also humbled by the numerous BICOLANO and BICOLANA who contributed much for our country.

One of them is JESSE ROBREDO.


I first saw him when a classmate at an Engineering course at the University of Nueva Caceres in  Naga asked me, "BISTADO MO ANG NAGLALAKAW NA 'YAN". I replied, "Ang aram ko instructor siya pero dai ko aram pangaran nya". Then he said, "Dai mo aram na sya si MAYOR ROBREDO kan NAGA." I was amazed of how simple the man. He was just walking without any bodyguard in simple clothes. That moment heavily impressed upon me an admiration for the highest man at the helm of LGU Naga City. 

"Jesse Manalastas Robredo was born on May 27, 1958.

On July 9, 2010, President Benigno Aquino III named Robredo as Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government. 

Robredo was formerly the Mayor of Naga City in Camarines Sur. 

Robredo is the first Filipino Mayor to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service in 2000.

On August 18, 2012, the aircraft carrying Secretary Robredo crashed off Masbate bay. He was scheduled to attend a political event in Naga City. The Philippine Department of Interior and Local Government said that the pilot sent a distress call to the Masbate airport requesting an emergency landing. The plane never made it to the airport and crashed in the ocean."

There are plenty of immortal honors, show of respect and admiration for him when he died. I was immensely moved by his contributions, his unblemished character and his legacy that I came up with my very simple tribute for him.

EDUCATION

"Robredo studied at Naga Parochial School, a private Catholic school in Naga City, for his elementary education. While studying, Robredo began to hone his talent and love for the game chess. Naga Parochial School was known and had established a record for winning Bicol's annual province-wide chess tournament and Robredo's brother had been among its champion competitors. 
Robredo obtained his undergraduate degrees in Industrial Management Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at the De La Salle University. Robredo was an Edward Mason Fellow and a graduate of Masters of Public Administration at John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1999. In 1985, Robredo finished his Masters in Business Administration at the University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, as a scholar and was named the Graduate School and Faculty Organization awardee for scholarly excellence."


EARLY CAREER

"In 1980, Robredo worked for the San Miguel Corporation in Mandaluyong City, in the Physical Distribution Technical Services of the General Services Division, and within six months, Robredo had hurdled two of the three levels in the division and was then sent to the finance division for another six months.

When Robredo's immediate superior was moved to Magnolia Ice Cream, San Miguel Corporation's ice cream division, Robredo was invited to come along. At Magnolia Ice Cream, Robredo was assigned to logistics planning and concurrently, he functioned as staff assistant to the physical distribution director.

In 1986, Robredo returned to Naga City, where he became Program Director of the Bicol River Basin Development Program, an agency tasked to undertake integrated area development planning in the three provinces of the Bicol region."

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION...

"In recognition of Robredo's outstanding performance in public service, he has received 14 major individual awards which include, the 2000 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service, 1998 Konrad Adenauer Medal of Excellence as Most Outstanding City Mayor of the Philippines, 1996 Outstanding Young Persons of the World (TOYP) Award, 1990 The Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines (TOYM), and the first ever "Dangal ng Bayan" Award of the Civil Service Commission. In March 2008, Robredo was conferred an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree by the Far Eastern University in Manila.

Robredo is a trustee of Synergeia Foundation Inc., a coalition of individuals, institutions, and organizations that works together to improve the quality of basic education in the Philippines. Synergeia Foundation Inc. collaborates with local governments, the Department of Education, socio-civic groups, schools, teachers, parents and students to implement systemic programs that will improve the processes, systems and structures of learning and teaching.

Robredo, together with Isabela Governor Grace Padaca and Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio, launched the Kaya Natin! movement. The Kaya Natin! movement started through a meeting facilitated by the Ateneo de Manila University - School of Government on June 2008 and has been regarded as a national movement that seeks to bring genuine change and ethical leadership in the Philippines."

His nickname "POGI" is perfectly fit for his "HANDSOME" personality, "VERY GOOD LOOKING" public service and "BEAUTIFUL" INSPIRING JOURNEY in LIFE...

How about you? Do you know JESSE ROBREDO?