Zubiri: Revilla was a real-life hero

Former Senator and entertainment industry stalwart Ramon Revilla, Sr. has passed away at the age of 93, his son Sen. Bong Revilla confirmed on Friday.

"Ramon Revilla had such a profound influence on this country. As an actor, as a producer, as a politician. He did it all, and he did it all well. His films entertained and shaped generation upon generation of Filipino audiences. As an actor, he was so good in making us believe in his characters' outsize strength and invincibility that I can hardly believe that he's gone."

Revilla made his name in the film industry playing the titular Nardong Putik in Nardong Putik: Kilabot ng Cavite (1972), a gangster who notoriously evaded threats to his life by clinging to his amulet. He also took on the lead role in Pepeng Agimat . . . Sa Daigdig ng Kababalaghan (1973), which has since then become an iconic figure in popular culture. Revilla would eventually create his own production company, Imus Productions, for which he wrote and directed his own films.

In 1992, he was elected senator. He went on to serve two terms. "What was truly remarkable about him was that his real-life work easily overshadowed the heroics of his film roles. He was a hero both on and off screen."

"He was such a hardworking and committed public servant, and he championed some vital measures that really put the country on track to development. He was pretty much a trailblazer in the public works sector, fighting for infrastructure development as a gateway to economic development. What we're doing now with our infrastructure programs has its roots in what he was doing way back in the nineties." Known as the Father of the Public Works Act for his authorship of Republic Act 8150, Revilla championed infrastructure investments across the country, from cities to remote barangays.