Former Senate President Jovito Salonga
To honor the achievements of one of the city's prolific Pasiguenos, the local government of Pasig has declared June 22 as “Ka-Jovito Salonga Day,” coinciding with the statesman’s birthday.
During its regular session on Monday, June 19, the Pasig City Council unanimously approved on its final reading the Ordinance No. 107-2023, authored by Councilors Angelu de Leon and Mark Gil delos Santos.
It passed the second reading in the council session last June 13.
The ordinance was created to honor former Senator Jovito Salonga, known as the “Nation’s Fiscalizer” and one of the most renowned public servants who was born and raised in Barangay San Miguel, Pasig City.
According to Councilor Delos Santos, the ordinance was the 11th City Council’s way of thanking Salonga for his dedication and service to Pasiguenos and Filipinos.
“Dinala niya hanggang sa huling hininga ng kanyang buhay na maipakita na kaya po nating maglingkod sa bayan kahit tayo po ay simple lamang. Maaari po tayong makasama sa mga simpleng mamamayan (Until his very last breath, he showed us that we can serve our nation simply. We can commune and unite with the common people),” said Delos Santos.
Salonga, an accomplished lawyer and lawmaker, served as a senator under three presidential administrations namely Diosdado Macapagal, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., and Corazon "Cory" Aquino. He was elected as Senate President from 1987 to 1991.
He authored significant legislation including the State Scholarship Law, the Disclosure of Interest Act, the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers, and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, and the Act Defining and Penalizing the Crime of Plunder.
Born in 1920 to a father who was a pastor and a mother who worked as a market vendor, Salonga studied at the Pasig Elementary School and Rizal High School. He studied law at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman and was a topnotcher of the bar exam in the 1940s. Afterwards, he furthered his education at Harvard University and Yale University in the United States of America.
Salonga was also an advocate of democracy and anti-corruption, having joined the resistance movement against the Japanese occupation forces for which he was imprisoned; as well as an outspoken member of the opposition during the Martial Law period. In 1986, former President Cory Aquino appointed him as chairman of the Presidential Commission on Good Government.
Family and relatives of Sen. Salonga at the Pasig City Council Session Hall on June 19, 2023. (Coun. Angelu De Leon FB / MANILA BULLETIN)
Councilor De Leon said it is time to give public recognition and commemorate the life and achievements of the late senator.
Speaking to Salonga’s children – Ricardo, Esteban, Patricia, Eduardo and Victoria – as well as his niece Rebecca, De Leon said Salonga’s dedication as a teacher, lawyer, and public servant was unmatched, a testament to his prowess as a leader and goodness as a human being.
Salonga was laid to rest in Pasig City Cemetery in 2016.
“The city wishes to annually commemorate the birth of Senator Salonga in recognition of his accomplishment as a public servant and relive his memory which continues to serve as an inspiration to all Filipinos,” De Leon added.
Prior to this declaration, the local government, under Sotto’s administration, has implemented projects in honor of Salonga. Last June 22, 2022, a new school building named after Salonga was inaugurated as part of the Pasig Elementary School, his alma mater.
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