DepEd, DOH mourn death of former President Ramos

The Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Health (DOH) on Sunday extended their condolences over the passing of former President Fidel Ramos at the age of 94.

In a statement, DepEd condoled with the nation and said Ramos will be remembered for championing education in the country.

“The entire Department of Education mourns the passing of former President Fidel V. Ramos. We offer our sincere condolences and prayers to the Ramos family in this time of sorrow,” the agency said.

“During his term, he signed various education bills into law such as the Science and Technology Scholarship Law (RA 7687), the Dual Training System Act of 1995 (RA 7686), the CHED Law (RA 7722), the TESDA Act (RA 7796), as well as a national system of excellence for teacher education under RA 7784, among others,” it said.

“Today, we lost an advocate of education who believed that while growth in material terms is necessary and gainful, such material growth cannot be achieved without the corresponding effort to increase the people’s intellectual capacity and moral strength,” it added.

“This is the task of education which, is the right of every citizen to receive, and the responsibility of the government to provide,” the DepEd said.

Meanwhile, the DOH paid tribute to Ramos for his service to the country and uplifting the state of health of Filipinos.

“President Ramos had a broad vision and dedication towards the health of all Filipinos,” DOH said.

“It was during his term that landmark health laws such as the National Blood Services Act of 1994, Act for Salt Iodization Nationwide of 1995, and National Health Insurance Act of 1995 came into force,” it added.

The health department also thanked the Ramos for laying the groundwork for progress towards universal health care.

Ramos was elected as the 12th President of the Philippines in 1992 and served until 1998.

He succeeded President Corazon Aquino, for whom he served as chief of staff of the Armed Forces and then Defense secretary.

Six years earlier, on February 22, 1986, Ramos—then Armed Forces vice chief of staff to President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.—joined Aquino and hundreds of thousands of protesters gathering on EDSA against the Marcos regime, along with then-Defense minister Juan Ponce Enrile.

Their decision to join the People Power Revolution, as the movement came to be known, was pivotal in the eventual ouster of the Marcoses from Malacañang three days later. — BM, GMA News