THE House of Representatives on Monday adopted House Resolution (HR) No. 2165 expressing its “profound condolences” to the family of the late agriculture undersecretary and former deputy speaker Deogracias Victor Barbers Savellano.
The resolution was authored by Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga 3rd District Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr., Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” M. Dalipe, Senior Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander A. Marcos, Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, and Reps. Yedda K. Romualdez and Jude Acidre of Tingog Party-list.
Savellano, “DV” to family and former Ilocos Sur 1st district representative, friends and colleagues, passed away last January 7 at the age of 65. He was also a former governor and vice governor of his province.
He is survived by his wife Geraldyn Schaer Bonnevie-Savellano; children Josephine Elizabeth Marie Savellano-Padua, Patricia Angelique Marie Savellano-Singson, Deogracias Jose Victorino Savellano, Virginia Nicole Savellano, and Rita Marie Savellano-Ocampo; and step children Danica Sotto-Pingris and Vittorio Mari Sotto.
In their resolution, Speaker Romualdez and his co-authors noted the “heartfelt tribute for a dear friend” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has made for the late Ilocos Sur congressman.
They said the President described Savellano as “someone whose heart always belonged to the people he served, and his profound farewell message ended with ‘Agyaman kami kadagiti amin a naipaay a tulong ken serbisyom, apo DV (We are thankful for all the help and service you have given, Sir DV).’”
“Honorable Savellano’s unfaltering advocacy for the promotion of agricultural development, the upliftment of the lives of farmers, and commitment in the preservation of local culture epitomize the real essence of an excellent public servant,” they said.
The resolution’s authors said the late lawmaker’s political career and public service started when he was elected and served as vice mayor Cabugao Ilocos Sur from 1981 to 1986.
He was later voted senior board member in 1988; vice governor from 1988 to 2001, 2004 to 2007 and 2010 to 2016; from 2001 to 2004, and 2007 to 2010; and representative of the first legislative district during the 17th Congress from 2016 to 2019 and 18th Congress from 2019 to 2022.
In 2023, he was appointed as undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA) for livestock, oversight official of the National Tobacco Administration, and DA representative to the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council.
In the House, Savellano also served as chairperson of the Committee on North Luzon Growth Quadrangle and vice chairperson of the Committee on Agrarian Reform. He was actively involved with stakeholders and administrators of the National Tobacco Administration and provided invaluable inputs in the formulation of the Sustainable Tobacco Enhancement Program in 2020 for the upliftment of the lives of tobacco farmers.
He authored several bills and laws for the promotion of cultural heritage, trade, tourism, and health, among others, including
Republic Act (RA) No. 11915, otherwise known as the “National Music Competitions for Young Artists Act”; RA 11904, otherwise known as the “Philippine Creative Industries Development Act”; RA 11900, entitled “An Act Regulating the Importation, Manufacture, Sale, Packaging, Distribution, Use, and Communication of Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products, and Novel Tobacco Products”.
