HAGONOY, Bulacan—The town’s former mayor, elder brother of Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople dies of ailment on Thursday, July 13 in a hospital in Metro Manila.
His body now lies in state at Cherubim in Heaven Memorial Park in Barangay San Pedro, this town after it was brought home in Bulacan on Sunday (July 16) following a three day wake at Greenmeadows subdivision in Quezon City.
Ople died of pneumonia and septic shock due to lung cancer at Manila Medical Center, according to his sister Hagonoy Councilor Atty. Dalisay Ople-San Jose
The former mayor who is the fifth child of former Senator, Foreign Affairs Secretary and Father of Philippine Labor Laws and Overseas Filipino Workers Blas F. Ople will be turning 66 on his birthday on August 3. He was born in 1957.
Known by many and fondly called as “Toti,” Ople was mayor of Hagonoy town from 1998-2007. He was a one term councilor of the town from 1995-1998 and later had served as nine year member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan ng Bulacan as representative of the first district.
As a legislator, Ople made significant contributions as he notably authored and co-authored several ordinances positively impacting the development of the province. A few among them are Ordinance No. 2012-09, Resolution No. 098-T’12 or the ‘Panlalawigang Kautusan na Nagbabawal sa Paggamit ng Non-biodegradable (‘di-nabubulok) Plastic Bags, Styrofoam at mga Kauri nito bilang Packaging Materials sa Lalawigan ng Bulacan at Nagtatakda ng Kaparusahan sa Paglabag Nito’ and Ordinance No. 2012-01, Resolution No. 036-T’12 or the ‘2011 Tricycle Code of Bulacan’.
He actively participated as a member of the Provincial Peace and Order Council, Provincial Disaster Management Council and the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council. He was also the SP representative on the Emilio G. Perez Memorial Hospital Board. Ople is beloved by many Bulakenyos for his competence, quick wit, and kind demeanor.
Gov. Daniel Fernando said on Friday that Bulacan lost a seasoned leader whose smiles and jolliness in the provincial capitol will always be dearly remembered.
“Our province lost a good and compassionate leader, and I have lost a dear friend. He did not only serve as a colleague, siya rin ay naging isang mabuting katuwang at kaibigan, naging magandang halimbawa at inspirasyon hindi lamang sa kanyang pamilya kundi maging sa lahat ng mga nakapaligid sa kanya. Taos-puso po kaming nakikiramay sa mga naulila ni Bokal Toti.”
He will be honoured through a “Luksang Parangal” on July 20 before the scheduled burial on July 21 at Hagonoy Catholic Cemetery.