Statement of Sen. Francis Pangilinan on the death of Gina Lopez
Kiko thanks Gina for her service

A woman of courage. Firebrand. That is how many will remember Gina Lopez -- perhaps most prominent for her short stint as Secretary for the Environment and Natural Resources, but more significantly for me as child protection advocate.

Bantay Bata, the ground-breaking program that put the most vulnerable children front and center, as well as the educational shows that aired on ABS-CBN, was among that absorbed her focus and passion. We worked together on various advocacies of the ABS CBN Foundation spanning three decades. We partnered with her in the early 90s to raise funds for the resettlement of victims of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption. We partnered with her again a decade later to help build the La Mesa Dam Eco Park Project and yet again a few years ago to help raise incomes for farming communities in Palawan and other parts of the country.

At the Senate, we stood by her appointment for DENR Secretary because we believe that such an important position should be held by someone who understands how critical it is to prioritize the environment. Someone who is unafraid to butt heads with heavyweights who are harming our natural resources. Someone who will not hesitate to implement bold, necessary reforms to save our country and our planet.

She was all that. In or out of government, her life was about tireless creativity for all our collective future, through our children and our environment.

Rest well and rest in peace, Gina. You did well in helping transform thousands of lives and it was a privilege to have worked alongside you in helping change our world.

Thank you for your service, Gina. Thank you for your life.