The Philippine flag was flying at half-mast in front of the Negros Occidental Capitol and the Bacolod City Government Center on Monday, August 1, in honor of former president Fidel Ramos who passed away on Sunday at the age of 94.
Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said the flag was flying at half-mast in mourning over the loss of Ramos and to honor his legacy of service and significant contributions to the country.
“Together with the entire nation, we mourn the passing of a great president and statesman, President Fidel V. Ramos. We are eternally grateful to him for his crucial role in restoring freedom to our people at EDSA and for bringing a newly liberated country to stability and progress,” Bacolod Bishop Patricio Buzon said.
Former Negros Occidental governor and Kabankalan mayor Isidro Zayco said Ramos was one of the best presidents of the Philippines.
Ramos approved the conversion of Kabankalan into a city when he was its mayor, and improved the country’s economy, Zayco said.
Bacolod Regional Trial Court Executive Judge, Raymond Javier, said the flag was also flying at half-mast at the Bacolod City Hall of Justice.
“The judges and court staff of the Bacolod City Hall of Justice express their heartfelt sympathies to the family of former President Fidel V. Ramos at this sad times. President Ramos was instrumental in the construction of the Hall of Justice in 1994 under the Justice Infrastructure Program of his administration,” Javier said.
“As long as this symbol of justice stands in Bacolod City, President Ramos’ memories will live on in our hearts,” he added.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared July 31 to August 9 as national days of mourning for Ramos.
“The national flag shall be flown at half-mast from sunrise to sunset, on all government buildings and installations throughout the Philippines and abroad, for a period of 10 days”, Marcos said in a proclamation released Monday.
Aside from being President from 1992 to 1998, Ramos served as the Secretary of National Defense from 1988 to 1991, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from 1986 to 1988, and Chief of the Philippine Constabulary from 1972 to 1986, the proclamation said.*