The late Interior secretary and former Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo would have turned 63 years old Thursday, May 27, Vice President Leni Robredo and their daughters shared on social media as they celebrated his birth anniversary.
“63rd. His life, though short, was purposeful. It’s the kind of life we strive to live, every single day,” the vice president said on her personal Facebook page.
She remembered her late husband as the “better half of me.”
Robredo shared a photo of her husband with the words “mission accomplished salamat pogi!” Jesse was referred to as “pogi (handsome)” by his constituents in Naga City, where he served as mayor for six terms.
Their eldest daughter, Aika, also shared a post on Instagram. The photo was of her dad and youngest sister, Jillian, who is now studying Biomolecular Science at the New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering on a scholarship.
“Happy birthday to my Papa, whose love continues to be one of life’s greatest gifts (heart emoji). We continue to celebrate his birthday every year, and he would’ve turned 63 today. Please include him in your prayers (thank you emoji),” Aika said.
She noted that the photo of their father and Jillian, with their arms linked together, is one of her favorite photos. Jillian, she added, was only seven or eight at the time.
The Jesse Robredo Foundation will also commemorate Jesse’s birthday anniversary with a eucharistic celebration to be livestreamed Thursday at 9 a.m on the foundation’s official Facebook page.
It will be presided by Rev. Fr. Primitivo “Jun” E. Viray Jr., S.J., the provincial superior of the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus.
Jesse died on August 18, 2012 in a plane crash off the seas of Masbate Island after suffering an engine failure.
He served in the Cabinet of former President Benigno Aquino III from July 2010 until his untimely death. As Naga City mayor, he was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service, the first Filipino mayor to hold the honor. His work in Naga City has been documented in books about ethical leadership and good governance.
It was after his death that his widow joined politics, running and winning a congressional seat in 2013 and the vice presidency in 2016.