Prominent business leader and former Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Roberto Romulo died last Sunday, January 23, the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) announced.
He was 83 years old.
“The Board of Trustees of the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) announces with deep sadness the death of its founding chairman, Roberto R. Romulo, last Sunday, January 23, 2022,” the ZFF said in its website and social media accounts.
He is one of the sons of statesman Carlos P. Romulo, former United Nations General Assembly President, former DFA Secretary and Pulitzer Prize journalist.
A graduate of Georgetown University and Ateneo de Manila law school, Romulo rose from the ranks, first as a marketing trainee of IBM in New York and eventually became general manager and president of IBM Philippines and Thailand.
When President Corazon Aquino came to power in 1986, “Bobby” Romulo was tapped as one of her business consultants until he was appointed ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the Commission of the European Communities. In 1992, President Ramos appointed him as foreign affairs secretary.
His stint as DFA Secretary was marred with controversy, as Filipina domestic helper Flor Contemplacion was hanged in Singapore for killing a fellow Filipina and her ward. Amid furor during a mid-term election year, Romulo, along with Labor Secretary Nieves Confesor, quit in order to save the Ramos administration.
Romulo rejoined the private sector and held various positions in top companies in the country — chairman of PLDT, vice chairman of San Miguel International, chairman of Interpharma Investments Ltd. (Zuellig Pharma), board member of MIH, independent director of A. Soriano Corporation, Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Singapore Land and UIC. He was also chairman of AIG Philippines Insurance, MediLink Network, and Nationwide Development Corporation
Despite his busy schedule in the private sector, he remained committed to nation-building as he founded the APEC Business Advisory Council, and became its chairman of Philippine representation. He was also the chairman of the e-Asean Task Force, a public/private sector advisory council created by the ASEAN leaders, in 1999 to 2001. He served as senior advisor on international competitiveness to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from 2001 to 2007.
His was also chairman of non-profit organizations: Carlos P. Romulo Foundation for Peace and Development, Zuellig Family Foundation, and Asia-Europe Foundation of the Philippines. He is a Co-Founder and Trustee of the US-Philippines Society.
In 2016, he was presented the Arangkada Lifetime Achievement Award by the Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines.
“RRR was a good leader and a true patriot. He believed in our country and had faith in our Foreign Service, which he always supported. It was truly a privilege to have served under him,” Ambassador Evan Garcia, Philippine Permanent Representative to United Nations in Geneva told Business Mirror.
Zuellig Family Foundation said Ambassador Romulo led them in their mission of improving the health of vulnerable and disadvantaged Filipinos “by helping elected political leaders improve their local health systems and services.”
“We ask our partners and friends to join us and the Romulo family in celebrating his life and praying for the repose of his soul,” the ZFF said.
Last July, his letter to his business leaders became viral as he expressly showed his disappointment on the “presidency of Duterte.”
Without mentioning his health condition, he said while he was undergoing “medical challenge,” he was fervently praying that the business community would be united to support a candidate “who will bring back competence, dignity, civility and true love of country and her people.”
“Do not wait for that individual to emerge. Our primary objective now is to show our countrymen that Duterte and his anointed are unacceptable,” Romulo said.
Without mincing words, he said Duterte’s administration “has been characterized by incompetence, brutality, corruption, incivility, abuse of power and dishonesty.”
“In a span of five years, he has reversed the gains that the Aquino Presidency has bequeathed him – a robust economy, a healthy balance sheet, shrinking poverty levels, the confidence of foreign investors, international credit rating agencies and corruption ranking institutions, and the respect of other countries.
“He has squandered the weight of global public opinion in our favor following the ruling of the UN arbitration court invalidating China’s claim on the South China Sea by meekly standing by while she continues encroaching on our territory and denying our fishermen access to traditional fishing grounds. “
“His brutal implementation of his anti-drug war has caused the lives of thousands with little success to show for it.
“His incompetent management of the pandemic resulted in unnecessary deaths and impoverished the poor even more. “The simplicity, dignity, moral values and respect for democratic ideals that the under-appreciated Noynoy Aquino brought stands in stark contrast to Duterte.”
The letter was leaked few weeks after the death of former President Benigno Aquino Jr.
Last December, Romulo, together with 22 other former Cabinet members of the Ramos administration signed a statement of support to Vice President Leni Robredo’s presidential bid.