07/08/2025
RENE G. ROMERO
A Voice Above The Flood
By Mark Sison
IN his 2025 State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. made a crucial admission, "the country’s flood control systems are failing.”
He called out billions wasted on poorly executed projects and emphasized the need for resilient, corruption-free infrastructure.
Senator Dante Marcoleta as well brought the matter to the Senate floor through a privilege speech, shedding light on how botched flood control projects have devastated Pampanga’s farmers. Thousands of hectares of farmland are submerged. Livelihoods are vanishing.
While government leaders have moved swiftly, meanwhile, businessman Rene G. Romero, once the loudest voice in Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PamCham), chose to resign to continue his work beyond the chamber’s walls.
Romero’s voice consistently cut through the noise whenever Pampanga faced adversity. For decades, as one of the founders, and later as president and chairman of PamCham, he was at the forefront of critical conversations on good governance, infrastructure, and business development. His presence in civic affairs was never ornamental, it was consequential.
He was known for leading with conviction, mentoring with humility, and nurturing a culture of respect that valued every voice in the chamber.
Contrary to rumors that he retired from public life, Romero in fact resigned from PamCham not out of retreat, but principle. In a formal letter dated May 15, 2025, addressed to the PamCham Board of Directors, Romero wrote: "With due respect and careful consideration, I am formally and irrevocably tendering my resignation as a member of the Board of Directors of the Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc., relinquishing my post as Chairman, effective immediately. I have always believed that public service and advocacy must come from a place of personal conviction and genuine concern for community development. Since the inception of PamCham, I have consistently stood for the principles of good governance, responsible leadership, and private sector engagement in nation-building.”
That conviction remains unchanged.
Unfortunately, a Facebook post entitled “PamCham Board of Directors Elects New Chairman in Special Meeting,” dated August 1, 2025, inaccurately described Romero’s departure as a “retirement.” Let’s set the record straight, Romero didn’t retire, he resigned. And he did so with deliberate silence, out of respect for the very organization he co-founded with the visionary business leader and civic icon, the late Levy P. Laus.
Rather than risk further division within PamCham, Romero chose to step away quietly, opting for unity over ego, and dignity over discord. He now continues his advocacy where integrity is welcomed, his voice is respected, and collective action still matters.
Today, while no longer seated at the head of PamCham, Romero continues his work silently but effectively through his role as Vice Chair in the Philippine Chamber Development Institute, Inc. (PhilCDI), and remain fully active in his professional and advocacy work particularly in areas that matter most during disasters, regional development, infrastructure accountability, and enterprise resilience.
The truth is undeniable, Pampanga’s flood control projects haven’t just fallen short they’ve added to the problem. Collapsing canals, choked waterways, and billions drained by poor ex*****on and corruption. This is exactly when leadership like Romero’s grounded in data, integrity, and action is sorely missed.
Moreover, Pampanga’s MSMEs are drowning first in inflation, now in floodwater. This isn’t the moment for business groups to play safe or stay silent. Social responsibility means stepping up, not showing up.
Romero may no longer be front and center in local ceremonies but in a time when too many voices grow quiet in the face of corruption, his integrity remains a blueprint.
Pampanga may be underwater, but that’s no excuse for going mute. We need more leaders like Romero. Definitely he didn’t retire, and he wasn’t silenced. He simply understands what others forget, leadership isn’t about making noise it’s about showing up when it matters.
