CATHOLIC Bishop Pablo “Ambo” Virgilio David on Tuesday, April 30 remembered the humility embodied by the late LausGroup of Companies chairman and chief executive officer Liberato “Levy” P. Laus despite the successes he had achieved.
“Kong (brother) Levy is a great and humble man at the same time. How he can put together greatness and humility is, I think, the paradox of his life. At ito rin ang susi ng kanyang legacy,” said Bishop David as he recalled his relationship with Laus.
More than a family, Bishop David also described Laus as “a lot of things to a lot of people,” noting the roles played by the late prominent businessman and civic leader during his 68 years of fruitful life.
“When people hear his name, they will definitely remember beautiful things and the moments that they have spent with him, may it be corporate or charity works,” he said.
Significantly, Bishop David said the name of Laus will forever be ingrained in the history of how Pampanga survived and rose from the devastating effects of Mt. Pinatubo eruption back in 1991.
Through his visionary leadership, Laus gave a new direction to the then Clark Airbase as he fought for it to become a Special Economic Zone that gave hope to thousands of Kapampangans who were in the verge of becoming jobless then, Bishop David added.
“Iyong kanyang pagiging visionary, civic-minded, and concerned about the common good is something that a lot of people will truly miss,” he said.
Personally, Bishop David said that Laus also became instrumental in better proclaiming the Sunday Gospel through talk show ‘Men of Light’ which the Laus Group-run CLTV36 catered since its early years.
“We are very much indebted to Kong Levy because it was when he established the first free regional television, CLTV36, na nagkaroon ng wider audience ang aming Sunday Gospel talk show na Men of Light,” he said.
Bishop David, along with Bishop Emeritus Paciano “Apu Ceto” Aniceto, officiated the funeral mass of Laus yesterday afternoon before he was taken to his final resting place at the Sanctuario de San Fernando Memorial Gardens.
Also seen during the Mass were House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Clark Development Corporation president Noel Manankil, Atty. Dante David, Laus’s business partners Gina and Cesar Atienza of Sun.Star Cebu, among others.