Mayor leads "Dia de Roseller T. Lim"
Mayor Celso Lobregat, members of the City Council and members of the Lim family led by Former Vice Mayor Roberto T. Lim unveil the Senator Roseller T. Lim Monument at the Normal Road during the Dia de R.T. Lim Februay 9. (JOEY BAUTISTA)
“He was one of the most outstanding leaders of his time and who enormously contributed to the development not only of our city but of the country as well,” Mayor Lobregat said of Sen. Roseller T. Lim, adding that the “monument is a tribute to his memory and in celebration of the triumphs and accomplishments of the great filibuster, el gallo sulangkang y el niño bonito.”
The monument was engraved by Imao, one of the country’s famed artists through the funding initiative of Councilor Rudy Lim, himself son of Roseller’s brother former vice mayor Roberto Lim.
Recalled, on August 17, 2006, the City Council, through the initiative of Councilor Lim, approved Ordinance 283 declaring February 9 of every year as the “Dia de Roseller T. Lim.” On the basis of that law, Lobregat said, a program was held at the same site last September 23, 2006, to unveil the marker of the late senator, preparatory for yesterday’s ceremony. With the total support of the Lim family, the City Council, the City Engineer’s Office, the Mayor’s Office through the City Tourism Division and other agencies concerned, the monument is now erected on the said site—located at the renowned R.T. Lim Boulevard—an avenue rightly named after the late Zamboangueño senator a few decades ago.
To the Zamboangueños, the mayor said, the monument is an expression of gratitude and appreciation for the senator’s courage, conviction and contributions; to the Filipino people—it will serve as a reminder of the distinguished son of Zamboanga, who once served the Senate with dignity, pride and honor and to our guests and visitors— it will be an important attraction from which they discover about the tremendous achievements and contributions of Senator Lim. “To all of us—this monument signifies that even if Senator Lim is gone—he lives on and his memory lives on, his works and ideas live on,” Lobregat said. “Senator Roseller Tarroza Lim, the pride of Zamboanga and Mindanao in the Senate from 1955-1963, will always live on in our memories and will forever form part of our country’s history,” he added.
Joining the celebration were members of the immediate family of Roseller headed by his brother, Robert, daughter Rosamie Ruth, nephew Rudy and other members of the family, city department heads and employees, Dr. Emmylou Yanga, regional director of the Commission on Highed Education (CHEd), Dr. Milabel Ho, executive vice president of Western Mindanao State University and concurrent dean of the College of Nursing, Dr. Nora Ponce, president of the Zamboanga City State Polytechnic College, and Dr. Mila Fernandez. (City Hall PIO)