“No success can compensate for failure in the home.”
Robredo was born on May 27, 1958, in Naga City. He is a second-generation Filipino-Chinese, and the third of five children of Jose Chan Robredo Sr. and Marcelina Manalastas.
Appointed DILG
secretary by President Aquino in 2010, Robredo, 54, was one of the most
prominent figures among a rising generation of local officials becoming known
on the national stage. His performance in Naga, where in 1988 he was elected
mayor at the age of 29 – then the youngest city mayor in the Philippines –
brought him national as well as international recognition.
He served the
city for an unprecedented six 3-year terms, DILG records note, in 18 years,
transforming Naga into the Bicol region’s premier city.
In 1996 he was
named one of the Philippines’ Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) as well as one
of Ten Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP) in the world. Two years later, at
the age of 38, he won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service.
Asiaweek
Magazine called Naga one of Asia's Most Improved Cities, and credited Robredo
with bringing dynamism and innovation to public service, the local bureaucracy,
and community concerns from housing to public health matters.
Sterling academic
record
Robredo was an
Edward Mason Fellow and a graduate of Masters in Public Administration at the
John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, the DILG says on
its website.
He earned a
degree in Industrial Management Engineering and Mechanical Engineering from De
La Salle University, and then an MBA from the University of the Philippines.
After his
graduation from DLSU, it seemed Robredo was on track for the corporate life,
joining San Miguel Corporation's Magnolia division. But then he returned to
Naga City in 1986, and was convinced to sign on as Program Director of the
Bicol River Basin Development Program. Here he developed his taste and passion
for public service, and two years later he ran for mayor.
His fellow local
officials elected Robredo to lead the League of Cities of the Philippines in
1995. “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 chairs the Metro Naga Development
Council,” the DILG says on its website.
“A trustee of
Synergeia Foundation, a national advocacy group for education governance
reforms, Robredo is 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.”
Robredo studied
at the Naga Parochial School.
Robredo entered
high school in 1970 at Ateneo de Naga, further honing the discipline and
passion for excellence instilled by his father.
"At
Ateneo," the RM Awards bio quoted him saying, "I learned to deal with
people and I learned to deal with the external environment." But, added
the bio, “it was not until after he had left Ateneo that he began to appreciate
fully its motto of shaping ‘men and women for others.’"
Two Ateneo de
Naga priests---father confessor Fr. Jack Phelan and Fr. James
O'Brien---instilled in students, including Robredo, a deep love for Bicol.
The political
turmoil in the early 70s served as backdrop for Robredo’s high school years.
When Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law. “Robredo remembers the day the
Prefect of Discipline called all the students to an assembly and warned them
against getting involved in anti-government activities, lest they expose the
school to the risk of closure,” said the RM bio.“
Although Robredo
himself was never drawn to activism, he was neither ignorant of, nor
indifferent to, political issues. His father was a sympathizer of the Liberal
Party, which at the time was the opposition party, and openly expressed a
dislike for martial law. Jose Robredo had always encouraged his children to
speak their minds and, at mealtimes when everyone was required to be present,
he encouraged lively discussions including politics.”
A clutch of
degrees
In college,
Robredo wanted to be an engineer, excelling in science and math. Though he was
accepted at the University of the Philippines in Los Banos, he chose De La
Salle University, which enjoyed a good reputation for engineering courses.
“It was the
intellectual challenge Robredo liked most about De La Salle. He also found time
for sports and played basketball with the engineering school's intramural team.
But he shunned parties and nights out with his peers, although he allowed
himself an occasional movie. He preferred to stay home to study or to watch
television,” according to the RM bio.
Robredo earned
two bachelor of science degrees at DLSU in six years, for mechanical
engineering and industrial management engineering.
He quickly got a
job at San Miguel Corp. and eventually followed his boss who was transferred to
Magnolia, the ice cream division, where, at age 26, he met an early challenge
at fighting corruption and carrying out reforms.
Amid reports of
warehouse pilferage and a questioned promo contest, Robredo cleaned up the
plant's warehousing system “by improving the use of resources, cutting down on
overtime, and improving productivity.”
Robredo’s own
accident evokes memories of that similar national tragedy, a seeming reminder that
for those who wish to serve the people, there is no waiting around for
opportunities to do so. Every deadline is “yesterday” and every mission
urgent.
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