• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Lucio Co, the owner and chairman of Puregold and S&R Membership Shopping, among others, will be named the “Adopted Son of Bacolod”, and conferred as honorary mayor of the highly-urbanized city during the Chinese New Year celebration on Feb. 10.
Mayor Alfredo Benitez requested the Sangguniang Panlungsod Jan. 2 to pass a corresponding resolution on the matter, adding that Co, also the chairman and owner of Cosco Capital Inc., has “brought significant contribution to the business and investment landscape of the City of Bacolod and has led an exemplary yet low-keyed lifestyle worthy of emulation of the future generation”.
Best known as a visionary in retail shopping space, Co has crafted a brilliant masterplan to bring affordable goods and seamless service to the Filipinos, Benitez added.
“Through his various businesses, Co has helped thousands of Filipino workers by creating job opportunities through his retail empire; he is also a proponent of scholarships in various schools, thereby uplifting the lives of our less fortunate yet talented youth through education,” the mayor stressed.
The Bacolaodiat Inc. (BI), an association of Filipino-Chinese community that has been leading the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration in Bacolod for several years now, chose Co as this year’s adopted son, noting that he has “brought significant contribution to the business and investment in Bacolod and prominently known to have led an exemplary life in family affairs, philanthropy, and similar civic and social activities that can always inspire emulation for generational progress and promotion of the common weal of the people”.
Councilor Al Victor Espino, chairperson of the SP Committee on Laws, Ordinances and Good Government, accepted Jan. 3 the correspondence during the first session of the sanggunian this year, and said his committee will draft the requested resolution for approval in next week’s session. | CGC
