Bantayan Honors Mr. Roberto “Bobby” Aboitiz

The Municipality of Bantayan, through the honorable Mayor Ian Christopher Escario, turns over a charcoal painting of Mr Roberto “Bobby” Aboitiz to wife Mrs. Marian Aboitiz, and a collage of photos of Mr Bobby showing him in various turnover ceremonies and other activities in Bantayan to Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) President and Chief Operating Officer Dominica Chua on December 4, 2017, at the Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation in Barangay Tinago.

The turnover symbolizes the municipality’s tribute to the man who did so much for them. Before handing over the painting and collage, they also showed a video that highlighted  all the contributions that RAFI thru Mr Bobby has given to Bantayan through the years.   

“For the Bantayanons, these schools and day care centers are not just mere buildings, but serve as standing monuments of a legend that is Roberto Bobby Aboitiz,” said one beneficiary.

“We are here today to express our  deep gratitude to the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc for the priceless assistance you have extended to Bantayan and the thousands of Banyatanons thru the years.   The continued partnership of RAFI and Bantayan is  testament to our shared commitment to education. We take the road less taken and fight on because that is what Sir Bobby would have wanted us to do.  May the memory of this great man continue to be our guiding light in building stronger, better and brighter communities.  I assure you, his bugsay legacy will live on.    Sir Bobby’s memory and legacy not only lingers but lives forever in our hearts,” Mayor Escario said. 

Mayor Escario added further that in September 24, 2013, the Municipality of Bantayan passed Resolution no. 191 Series of 2013 declaring Mr Roberto “Bobby” Aboitiz as adopted son of Bantayan, stating that as President of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, he was cognizant of his social responsibility towards the community, a laudable undertaking, that of thinking about the plight of a community faced with insufficient educational facility. 

Also present during the tribute were the following:  RAFI BOT Chair and CEO Jon Aboitiz (via video conference), BOT VP Mikel Aboitiz,  and BOT members Fr. Ernesto Javier, Atty Manuel Go, and Amaya Aboitiz (also via videocon), RAFI President and COO Domi Chua, Eduardo Aboitiz, Carlos Aboitiz  and RAFI team leaders.

Mr Jon Ramon Aboitiz and Mrs Marian thanked Mayor Escario for the gesture and the moving tribute.  Here is the Bantayan video.