MANILA, Philippines - Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio "Iggy" Arroyo Jr. died today after life-support systems were removed from his body, said his brother, former First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo. "Support systems were pulled out already thirty minutes ago. My brother passed away already. I'm so sad," he said.
The Negros lawmaker was earlier declared "clinically dead" and was only relying on life support systems after he suffered a cardiac arrest Wednesday night. He is 60. "At that point, an ambulance was called for him in London. He was revived at the hospital but he went into a coma. This morning, his heart stopped beating," Mike Arroyo said in an earlier statement.
Arroyo was elected as Congressman during his first try in politics in 2004 and in 2007, he was again chosen by his constituents in the 5th District of Negros Occidental. During the 13th Congress, he became the Vice-Chairman of the House Committees on Agriculture and Appropriations and Member of other various Committees. He is presently the Chairman of the House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, Vice-Chairman of the House Committee on Government Reorganization and Member of other various Committees.
His early education began in Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City. He finished High School in 1969 at Villanova Preparatory High School in Ojai, California, USA and he took his preparatory course in Menlo College in Palo Alto, California then he went on to pursue his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree, Major in Finance at the University of San Francisco, California, USA where he graduated in 1974 with flying colors.
Prior to his election as Representative of the 5th District of Negros Occidental, he was a Board Member of the Philippine Producers Corporation (PHILPROCOM) in Bacolod City as well as the Planters Association of Negros Occidental.
He was actively involved in Rotary Club of Bacolod-East and Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals. As the Representative of his district, his priority is to respond to the needs of his constituents by providing them high impact infrastructure projects and places high value on the youth and children as the hope of this country in these trying times. He is affectionately called “Iggy” by his constituents.
He has proposed an act to promote environmental awareness through environmental education, which was signed into law as Republic Act No. 9512 otherwise known as the National Environmental Awareness and Education Act of 2008. He wants to instill to the youth the value of protecting our environment which means protecting their future. he likewise authored the Philippine Climate Change Act of 2008, which created the Climate Change Commission.
Among other significant bills, he has authored acts on increasing the salary grades of public school teachers, Seafarers Act of 2008, giving scholarship to the youth engaged in agriculture, instituting the children’s welfare funds for the protection and rehabilitation of abandoned, abused and sexually exploited children, the anti-child pornography act, Magna Carta for Day Care workers, establishing drug rehabilitation in every region in the country and granting incentives and benefits to rural health workers.
Source: ABS-CBN News
