Farewell, FVR
Ramos, 94, succumbs to COVID complications
Former president Fidel Valdez Ramos, who believed the Philippines could be a “tiger” economy in Asia some 20 years ago and popularized the thumbs-up sign with the slogan “Kaya Natin Ito,” passed away yesterday due to complications from COVID-19. He was 94. Sketchy reports indicate that Ramos, the country’s 12th president from 1992 to 1998 and more popularly called by his acronym FVR, succumbed to complications from COVID-19 at a hospital in Makati City. “The Ramos family is profoundly saddened to announce the passing of former President Fidel Valdez Ramos,” the late leader’s family said in a statement. “We thank you all for respecting our privacy, as the family takes some time to grieve together,” they added. Wake and funeral arrangements will be announced in the near future, according to the family. Ramos completed his two-dose Sinovac vaccine against COVID-19 in June last year with his family in Muntinlupa City. It was not clear, however, if he received booster shots. At the height of the lockdowns in 2020, Ramos stayed at home and passed time watching news and documentaries and reading, but was bored and “can’t wait to go back to work,” his late secretary Mae Gaffud told reporters at the time. Since he stepped down from office in 1998 and up to the start of the pandemic, Ramos continued to go to his office at the RPDEV Foundation in Makati City. He also wrote a regular newspaper column. Ramos was appointed as special envoy to China by former president Rodrigo Duterte shortly after the latter assumed office in 2016. Ramos held initial meetings with Chinese officials in August that year, but declined to join Duterte’s party to Beijing the following October. That same month, Ramos resigned after criticizing Duterte’s bloody campaign against illegal drugs and
the accompanying issue of extrajudicial killings, and his undiplomatic approach in dealing with the United States and European nations on matters like climate change.
Last March 18, an online presidential library and an oral history project were launched to mark Ramos’ 94th birthday and make the public aware of his legacy.
The FVR Presidential Library website was expected to be completed before the end of the year along with the YouTube channel of the FVR Oral History.
Among Ramos’ last major public appearances was in October 2019, when he celebrated his 66th wedding anniversary with former first lady Amelita “Ming” Ramos, which was organized by their children and grandchildren.
‘Newly industrializing country’
Shortly after he assumed office in 1992, Ramos pushed for economic policies that broke up monopolies and boosted manufacturing and exports in a bid to make the country the “tiger cub” of Asia or a “newly industrializing country” under the banner “Philippines 2000.”
At the time, the country was recovering from the economic impact of the series of coup attempts against his predecessor, Corazon Aquino, whom he helped install in February 1986 when he – then Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) vice chief of staff – and subordinate military officers broke away from then strongman Ferdinand Marcos Sr. that sparked a peaceful popular uprising. Ramos had served as the chief of the Philippine Constabulary during the Marcos Sr. regime.
Upon her assumption as president, Aquino appointed Ramos as AFP chief of staff.
Later becoming defense secretary, Ramos helped protect Aquino from nine coup attempts and mutinies, some of which were led by then Col. Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan, his security chief during the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution.
Aquino then endorsed his bid for the presidency in 1992.