Remembering his leadership, service and values, tributes poured in for Manuel M. Lopez from various organizations and people. Manolo or MML, as he was also known, passed away at 80 years old last Jan. 12.
Throughout his life, Mr. Lopez took on several roles, from being a business leader, a former ambassador, to a family man.
Among those who paid tribute to the ex-envoy was Japan Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko, who offered his condolences to the Lopez family in a post on Twitter.
“I offer my sincerest condolences to the bereaved family of Ambassador Manuel ‘Manolo’ Lopez,” he wrote. “A true trailblazer, we will cherish his incredible legacy and impact to our bilateral relations. May his soul rest in peace.”
Mr. Lopez served as the Philippine ambassador to Japan from 2010 to 2016, during the administration of the late President Benigno “Noynoy” S. C. Aquino III.
His leadership was also honored by organizations he had guided through the years.
Rockwell Land, where he served as the chairman, mourned his passing and condoled and prayed for his loved ones.
In a Facebook post, the property developer remembered how it triumphed under the leadership of Mr. Lopez.
“With Chairman Lopez at the helm, Rockwell Land Corp. emerged as one of the top real estate developers in the Philippines. The company successfully made its mark in Metro Manila, South and Central Luzon, and the Visayas, through its world-class communities. His leadership has also led Rockwell to expand its signature brand of service to hotel, leisure, and commercial developments,” the statement read.
“Chairman Lopez has been an integral part of Rockwell Land’s history, and we will continue to emulate his leadership,” it added.
Rockwell also remembered how its late chairman looked after the people in the company.
“He always put us, the people behind Rockwell Land, first. He was best loved for his malasakit, a leadership brand we were inspired to take on. His vision will live on in the hearts of people whose lives he touched,” the developer said.
Also mourning the death of Mr. Lopez was Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), which also extended its condolences to the Lopez family.
“His leadership is best known for Malasakit, one of Meralco’s core values, which lives on among us and will continue to light our way,” Meralco said in a Facebook post.
“Malasakit. Integrity. Leadership by example. This is your legacy with Meralco,” the company expressed. “Thank you for lighting our way, MML.”
From 1986 to 2001, Mr. Lopez led Meralco as its president and a director from 1986 until 2018. He also served as the chairman and chief executive officer from 2001 to 2010 and continued as the chairman from 2010 to 2012.
The ABS-CBN Foundation, meanwhile, honored Mr. Lopez’s care for Filipinos’ welfare.
“Ambassador Lopez was a well-loved leader who kept the welfare of the Filipino people in mind throughout the institutions he served in,” the organization said in a Facebook post.
“The ABS-CBN Foundation is grateful for his steadfast support through the years. We aspire to give justice to his heart of malasakit and generosity through the work that we do,” it added.
In another Facebook post, the ABS-CBN Foundation remembered Mr. Lopez’s donations to them over the years, which have funded disaster response projects, child protection campaigns, educational initiatives, environmental programs, and livelihood projects.
“While many know Ambassador Manolo Lopez for his leadership, Kapamilyas will forever remember him for his heart for others,” the statement read.
Mr. Lopez served as a director of ABS-CBN Corp. and ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.
Gawad Kalinga’s (GK) Jose Ma. Montelibano also remembered Mr. Lopez for being a “committed supporter” for years, as well as kind and generous.
“He has a special heart for children and their early education, gifted GK with many SIBOL schools,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
“We in Gawad Kalinga condole with the family of Mr. Lopez and offer our prayers with our sympathy. Fare well, dear friend of GK,” he added.
Also paying tribute to Mr. Lopez was Retired Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban. In his column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the former chief justice honored Mr. Lopez as “an amiable diplomat, a hardworking business executive, a loving husband, a dedicated father, a humble billionaire for others, a dear friend, and a faithful disciple of our Lord Jesus.”
Since 2010, Mr. Lopez had served as the chairman and CEO of Lopez Holdings Corp. He also served as a director at Sky Cable Corp., Sky Vision Corp., and Lopez Group Foundation, Inc., among others.
While known for his leadership in the business scene and service as a former ambassador, Mr. Lopez was also remembered as a loving husband, father, and grandfather to his family.
Mr. Lopez is survived by his wife Maritess; his children and in-laws Maita and Jorge, Beaver, Mike and Chris, and Mark and Connie; as well as his eight grandchildren.
“I’d like to thank him for all the love he has given me throughout my entire life giving us all that love and always putting the welfare of our families. Don’t worry about mom. We will take care,” Mark Lopez, also the chairperson of ABS-CBN Corp., was quoted as saying in a report by ABS-CBN News.
Another friend of Mr. Lopez, Father Jerry Orbos, also expressed: “Through this one man, a lot of love, a lot of joy, a lot of hope has come into this world. Manolo not only lived a successful life but a meaningful life.” — Chelsey Keith P. Ignacio
