"It is not enough for an official to be good. There has to be a system that forces him to be good." Sec. Jesse Robredo.
In 1988 at the age of 29 he became the Mayor of Naga City, the youngest Mayor of the country at the time. In 2000 he received the Ramon Magsaysay award for Government Services, the first local official to receive that award. He was credited for turning Naga from third to first class city. Then Mayor Jesse did it through participative visioning to inspired people to believe in government again.
After his full term as Mayor of Naga City he obtained his Masters in Public Administration at John F. Kennedy School of Government in Harvard. Instead of running as Governor or Senator he opted to run again as Mayor and served the NagueƱos. And on 2010 he was appointed be Pres. Aquino as the DILG Secretary.
Last Saturday after a news report that the plane he boarded crashed in Masbate, MalacaƱang urge the Filipinos to pray for the Secretary's safety, I was one of the million of Pinoys who did pray. But yesterday Sec. Roxas announced the sad news the body of Sec. Jesse has been seen on the fuselage. Now we morn on the loss of a good man. A champion of Good Governance.
On this times I think miracles do happen, my prayers last Saturday and the million of prayers of Pinoys did not actually turn to nothing, we may not get the result of what we have prayed for but Sec. Robredo's death inspired me and the youth of these generation and awaken the Nationalism in me.
I did not know that a hero liked him exist. His death has waked the hoped in me for our Local Government. His worked has inspired me that change can be achieve, he became an Icon for me and hero that now has a name and has a face.
Goodbye Sec. Jesse you have touched my heart and these generations heart.