Press Release
September 9, 2018

SPONSORSHIP SPEECH ON HB 7230 ROAD RENAMING: MEL LOPEZ BOULEVARD

Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, good afternoon.

In behalf of your COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS, I humbly rise to present to you:

HOUSE BILL NO. 7230, UNDER COMMITTEE REPORT NUMBER 486 "AN ACT RENAMING THE PORTION OF RADIAL ROAD 10 TRAVERSING BONIFACIO DRIVE AT ANDA CIRCLE IN STATION KILOMETER 1+100, UP TO MARALA BRIDGE AT THE FOOT OF ESTERO DE MARALA STATION KILOMETER 6+445, ALL IN THE CITY OF MANILA AS 'MEL LOPEZ BOULEVARD.'"

BORN ON SEPTEMBER 1, 1935 AND DIED ON JANUARY 1, 2017, THE LATE GEMILIANO "MEL" C. LOPEZ, JR. SERVED OUR COUNTRY WITH AN UNWAVERING COMMITMENT AS A STATESMAN AND SPORTSMAN.

HE WAS AN ASSEMBLYMAN OF THE BATASANG PAMBANSA FROM 1984 TO 1986.

HE WAS APPOINTED BY THEN PRESIDENT CORAZON AQUINO IN 1986 AS THE OIC MAYOR OF THE CITY OF MANILA AND WON IN THE 1988 ELECTIONS AS THE ELECTED MAYOR OF THE CITY OF MANILA. DURING HIS TERM AS SUCH, HE LAUNCHED GRASSROOTS BOXING DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS FOR THE FILIPINO YOUTH UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP IN MANILA INTEGRATED SPORTS DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL.

IN 1993, HE WAS APPOINTED BY THEN PRESIDENT FIDEL RAMOS AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PHILIPPINE SPORTS COMMISSION.

AS PSC CHAIRMAN FROM 1993 TO 1996, LOPEZ WAS CREDITED FOR TRAINING AND HELPING WORLD BOXING CHAMPION MANSUETO "ONYOK" VELASCO TO CAPTURE THE COVETED SILVER MEDAL IN THE 1996 OLYMPICS. HE ALSO SERVED AS PRESIDENT OF THE AMATEUR BOXING ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES AND WAS AN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER OF THE INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR BOXING ASSOCIATION.

IN 2010, HE WAS APPOINTED AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL OIL CORPORATION AND WAS KNOWN FOR HIS ANTI-CORRUPTION DRIVE IN SAID AGENCY.

MR. PRESIDENT, WHILE WE ARE WELL AWARE THAT THE LAW PROHIBITS THE NAMING OR RENAMING OF A PUBLIC PLACE AFTER A PERSON WITHIN TEN (10) YEARS OF HIS DEATH, THE SAME PROVISION PROVIDES EXCEPTIONS; THAT A PUBLIC PLACE MAY BE NAMED AFTER A DECEASED EVEN WITHIN 10 YEARS OF HIS DEATH SUCH AS "WHEN THE DECEASED GAVE EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE TO THE NATION."

MR. PRESIDENT, THE STATESMAN AND SPORTSMAN MEL LOPEZ, UNDENIABLY BROUGHT ESTEEMED AND CONCRETE CONTRIBUTIONS OF NATIONAL PRIDE IN OUR COUNTRY AND CLEARLY PROMOTED THE WELFARE OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE.

IN DUE RECOGNITION OF HIS LEGACY ON SERVANT-LEADERSHIP AND OUTSTANDING PUBLIC SERVICE FOR THE COUNTRY, ESPECIALLY TO THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF MANILA,

THIS BILL SEEKS TO RENAME THE PORTION OF RADIAL ROAD 10 TRAVERSING BONIFACIO DRIVE AT ANDA CIRCLE IN STATION KILOMETER 1+100, THE INTERSECTION OF CLARO M. RECTO AVENUE AND MANILA INTERNATIONAL CONTAINER TERMINAL SOUTH ACCESS ROAD UNDER THE MANUEL ROXAS JR. FLYOVER, VEERING PAST THE NORTH HARBOR PASSENGER TERMINAL COMPLEX AND THE MANILA NORTH HARBOR CONTAINER PORT THROUGH ROAD 10 GOING OVER THE ESTERO DE VITAS AND UP TO MARALA BRIDGE AT THE FOOT OF ESTERO DE MARALA STATION KILOMETER 6+445, ALL IN THE CITY OF MANILA WITH A LENGTH OF APPROXIMATELY 5.345 KILOMETERS, AS MEL LOPEZ BOULEVARD.

With this, I humbly urge you, Mr. President, and my distinguished colleagues, to support this measure. Maraming salamat po.

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