Mayor honors Laus contribution to city’s growth

CITY Of San Fernando Mayor Edwin Santiago remembers the late Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. Chairman Emeritus Liberato “Levy” P. Laus as “the man behind the city’s strong public-private partnership.”

Santiago recalled the “valuable and noteworthy” contributions of Laus, both as a businessman and civic leader, that helped boost the economic development of the city.

“Napaka-importante ng role ng private sector para mai-angat pa ang economic development ng siyudad at isa sa mga napakalaking contributions niya ay iangat ang economic development dahil ibang klase ang leadership na ginawa niya (Laus),” Santiago said.

He stressed that the government’s role to spur economic development is to enable and facilitate laws and programs, but it is the private sector which puts trust and helps encourage their fellow businessmen to invest in the city.

Santiago recalled how Laus put confidence and invested in San Fernando amid the devastating effects of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991 in his aim to encourage fellow businessmen to re-open their businesses here.

He also noted Laus’s recent opening of a lifestyle center, the Laus Group Complex, which he said is another pioneering project for this capital city spearheaded by Laus and his company, the LausGroup of Companies.

“Iyong kanyang tiwala sa ating siyudad ang talagang nag-stir ng economic development at nagpapalago ng businesses dito San Fernando,” Santiago said.

Santiago said the passion and initiative of Laus will be greatly missed

not only in the business sector, but also in the Fernandino community which he helped develop and grow.

He said that his passing is very untimely, especially that he is personally leading the preparation for the city’s hosting of several games for the upcoming South East Asian games.

“Napakalaking bagay ng kanyang pagkawala sa San Fernando at naniniwala ako na ang kanyang mga contribution ay hindi makakalimutan ng bawat Fernandino,” he said.

Laus will be laid to rest today at the Sanctuario de San Fernando Memorial Gardens.