Final Farewell
TACLOBAN CITY — Former Tacloban City mayor Alfredo “Bejo” Romualdez, who served the city during a period of rapid development, was laid to rest on Saturday, October 25, at the Romualdez family mausoleum in Barangay Olot, Tolosa, Leyte. He was 91.
Before his interment, a requiem Mass was held at the Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum—the family’s ancestral home in Tacloban—where his remains had been brought on October 21.
The Mass was concelebrated by several priests led by Palo Archbishop John Du, who described the late mayor as “a friend to priests and bishops” and lauded him for his love for Tacloban and dedication to public service.
Romualdez, who passed away on October 17 in a Manila hospital due to multiple organ failure, served as Tacloban City mayor from 1998 to 2007.
During his nine-year term, he oversaw major infrastructure projects such as the Tacloban Convention Center (Astrodome), the public market, and the new bus terminal, while also fostering a business-friendly environment that paved the way for investments and the arrival of major commercial establishments.
His bronze casket, draped with the Philippine flag, was placed on a flower-decked funeral carriage that made its way through key city landmarks, including Tacloban City Hall and the Eye Referral Building, which he owned and had envisioned as a specialty center for eye care.
Despite overcast skies, a large crowd of former city officials, employees, and supporters joined the funeral procession to pay their final respects. At 12:30 p.m., Romualdez was interred beside his parents, Vicente Orestes and Remedios Trinidad Romualdez, in the family mausoleum, with uniformed soldiers carrying his remains during the final rites.
Neither President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. nor his mother, former First Lady Imelda Marcos—Romualdez’s sister—were present at the burial, though both had earlier visited the wake at Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City. Also notably absent were House Speaker Martin Romualdez and his family.
Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, the late mayor’s son, became emotional as he thanked those who came to honor his father.
“Thank you all for your support. My father served the Filipino people well,” Mayor Romualdez said, joined by his siblings and his son, Vice Mayor Raymund Romualdez.
Romualdez is remembered not only as a political leader but as a public servant who helped shape Tacloban’s transformation into a thriving regional center—leaving behind a legacy of development, civic pride, and family service deeply rooted in Leyte’s history.
JOEY A. GABIETA
