Senate to honor Flavier
The Senate resumes its sessions today by paying tribute to former Senator Juan Flavier and honoring his contributions to legislation, including landmark laws that helped shape the government’s health and anti-corruption programs.
Senate President Franklin Drilon is expected to lead current members and officers of the Senate in paying their respects to the former senator at the Senate’s session hall.
Senate Secretary Oscar Yabes said senators would wait for Flavier’s remains at 9: 30 a. m. at the main entrance of the Senate building.
Yabes said the senators, together with Flavier’s wife and children, the Senate Secretary, Sergeant- at- Arms, Deputy Secretaries, Senate Legal Counsel, DirectorsGeneral would escort the urn containing the ashes of the former senator to the Session Hall at the Second floor of the building.
Afterwards, senators will then take turns in delivering eulogies for the former legislator.
Flavier served as senator from 1995 to 2007. He succumbed to pneumonia last Oct. 30 at the age of 79.
The Senate is also expected to pass a resolution expressing the Senate’s “profound sympathy and sincere condolence on the death of the former senator” to Flavier’s family.
The resolution will take note of how the “hard working legislator registered a perfect attendance during the sessions and was instrumental in the enactment of landmark legislations promoting public health care and improving the quality of life of the people.”
According to Yabes, the Senate will host lunch for the family and relatives of the late Honorable Flavier, senators and guests at the Recto-Laurel Rooms.
Flavier authored and sponsored several bills that became laws such as the Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act ( Republic Act 8423); Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act (R.A. 8425); Philippine Clean Air Act (R.A. 8749); Indigenous People’s Rights Act (R.A.8371); Anti-Money Laundering Act (R.A. 9160); law declaring Eidl Fitr as a National Holiday (R.A. 9177); Barangay Micro-Business Enterprise (R.A. 9178); National Service Training Program for Tertiary Students (R.A. 9163); the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 (R.A. 9165); the Plant Variety Protection Act (R.A. 9168); the Philippine Nursing Act (R.A. 9173) and the Tobacco Regulation Act (R.A. 9211).
During his term as Health Secretary, Flavier gained recognition for initiating various health programs such as Oplan Alis Disease, Kontra Kolera, Stop TB, Araw ng Sangkap Pinoy, Family Planning and Doctor to the Barrios program.