Former Marikina Mayor Bayani Fernando Dies at 77
He reportedly fell from his home's roof.
(SPOT.ph) Former Marikina congressman Bayani Fernando passed away Friday, September 22, according to an announcement from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. The statesman was 77 years old.
"A mechanical engineer by profession, Chairman Fernando used scientific and practical approaches in his quest to solve the problems of Metro Manila," said the MMDA.
According to DZRH news, the lawmaker was rushed to a Quezon City hospital after falling from the roof of his house.
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Who was Bayani Fernando?
Bayani Fernando served two terms as mayor of Marikina from 1992 to 2001, and was succeeded by his wife Ma. Lourdes C. Fernando. He is known for transforming Marikina from a fourth class municipality to a model city, popularly credited as the mayor that cleared out their sidewalks.
After his terms as mayor, he was appointed Chairman of the MMDA. He was in office from 2002 to 2009. During his term, he became known as the "Father of U-Turns," implementing the then new love-em-or-hate-em traffic schemes along major thoroughfares like EDSA and C-5, and more, well, direct methods like the "wet rag" that allowed MMDA crew to throw wet rags at jaywalkers.
Fernando left his MMDA post in 2009 to pursue a presidential bid. A few months before, Ondoy swept through the country. The storm ravaged the capital region and beyond, with his old steward of Marikina taking the biggest brunt. "Blame it on me kaysa sisihin pa natin ang Diyos. It's up to them what they want to do with me but I will not resign as MMDA chairman," he told ABS-CBN back then.
In the 2010 elections, Fernando ran for Vice President under Richard Gordon's party, Bagumbayan. He lost to Makati mayor Jejomar Binay. He stayed away from the political limelight for a while afterwards, focusing on construction and metal fabrication business BF Corporation. Fernando then returned to politics, serving as Marikina's 1st congressional district Representative from 2016 to 2022.
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this strange new world.