Ex-Trade chief Roy Navarro, 72

Former Trade Secretary Rizalino “Roy” Navarro passed away Thursday at the age of 72 after suffering a heart attack on his way to work.

The sudden demise of Navarro—who sat as chair and director of various businesses mostly under the Yuchengco Group of Companies (YGC)—came as a shock, according to former Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Gov. Gabriel Singson, a close friend and colleague of Navarro at the YGC.

“He’s a great loss. He served the government as secretary of trade and as a member of the Monetary Board during the term of President Ramos,” Singson told the Inquirer.

Singson disclosed that Navarro was headed for his office at the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Thursday morning when he started to cough heavily in his car prompting the driver to bring him to the Makati Medical Center.

“He didn’t make it,” he said.

Singson said that he last saw Navarro in a meeting on Monday and that the latter had even attended a party the previous night.

Navarro had a history of heart ailment and sought regular treatment in San Francisco, he added.

His remains will be brought to Santuario de San Antonio, Forbes Park. Viewing will start Friday. There are no funeral details yet.

Navarro served in the following companies: EEI Corp. (chair), Seafront Resources Corp. (chair), Petroenergy Corp. (chair), Bankard Corp. (chair), Upline Foods Corp. (chair),  House of Investments Inc. (director), Great Life Financial Assurance Corp. (director),  Nationwide Development Corp. (director), Mapua Institute of Technology (director), Malayan Insurance Co. Inc. (director),  National Reinsurance Corp. of the Philippines (director), Ionics Inc. (director),  Niyog Property Holdings Inc. (director) and Phinma Corp. (director).