Beaver Lopez continues legacy of late dad Manolo Lopez

February 10, 2025 | 12:00am

Over lunch a few weeks ago, my dear friend Beaver Lopez caught me off guard when he revealed that he is the second nominee for the party list Partido sa Bagong Pilipino or PBP. This isn’t to say that I don’t think he’ll do a good job. Beaver is, in fact, one of the most approachable and most compassionate people I know, always with a ready smile to greet friends and strangers, and ready to extend a helping hand to those in need. I met him in 1995 when I was with ABS-CBN International. Back then, Beaver was one of the pioneers of The Filipino Channel (TFC), which was based in San Francisco. To many of our kababayans living in the USA, TFC was their lifeline to cure homesickness and to be informed of what was happening in the Philippines. As the late Eugenio “Geny” Lopez Jr. said, TFC was “building bridges on air.”

Beaver also comes from a family of public servants. His granduncle, Fernando Lopez, was the vice president of the Philippines for over 10 years. The family is also into power generation (First Generation), real estate (Rockwell Land) and media (ABS-CBN Corporation and Skycable).

With all these, it was perhaps inevitable that he would join the political fray. I guess what I was more surprised by was his decision to engage in politics in his mid-50s. Now 57, Beaver has adopted a healthier lifestyle. He tries to be in bed by 9 p.m. and up at 5:30 a.m., so he has time to ride his bike and reach his 200-kilometer weekly “quota.”

Beaver was married to Jackie Ejercito, daughter of former Pres. Joseph Estrada, and they have three boys: Manu, Jack and Luis. He admits that after his marriage was annulled, he and Jackie found it difficult to be friends. But the pandemic came, and it was a blessing in disguise that compelled them to set aside their differences and make the decision to co-parent their sons. He and Jackie are now on good terms and she even accompanied him when he filed his certificate of candidacy. She is also helping on the campaign trail by organizing medical missions. Beaver is very thankful that Jackie did a great job raising their children. Manu graduated magna cum laude with a degree in economics and then a master’s degree in business analytics, both from the University of Southern California. Jack, on the other hand, is a sophomore majoring in business at Loyola Marymount University. Luis, the youngest, is in grade eight at British School Manila.

Beaver revealed during our lunch that the decision to enter politics didn’t come easy. He talked to his mom, Maritess and siblings, Maita, Mika and Mark about it and prayed for discernment. Initially, some thought that he was running so he could help reclaim the franchise of ABS-CBN — the crown jewel of the Lopez family — before its renewal was denied by Congress in 2020. But what Beaver wants more than anything is to continue the legacy of his late father, Manolo Lopez, who was the Philippine Ambassador to Japan during the term of Pres. Noynoy Aquino. Growing up, Beaver was constantly reminded by his dad to give back and to pay it forward. Beaver witnessed firsthand how his father was able to deliver quality public service to many Filipinos through community building.

If lady luck will be on Beaver’s side on election day on May 12, PBP will focus on rural development, targeting far-flung barangays in fourth and fifth class municipalities. Such places are often neglected and thus in dire need of basic public services such as potable water, barangay health care centers, electricity and connectivity. Beaver has in fact been going around the country since June 2024. His first stop was Caraga in Butuan, the second poorest region after the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). There, he immersed himself in the life and culture of the people and listened to their woes, hopes, and dreams. A few weeks ago, he was in Panay Region Six and in Iloilo, the province the Lopezes hail from. There, he reconnected with friends and family and was overwhelmed by the support they showed him for his party list plans. Sure that he will return, Beaver even left bicycles in Bacolod and Iloilo, so he can bike around the countryside during his next visits.

And speaking of bicycles, those who know Beaver and his good friend Goyo Larrazabal (the first nominee of PBP) are aware that both men are biking enthusiasts. They even chose pink — the color of cycling purists — as their campaign color. To kick off their campaign on Feb. 12 (start of the official campaign period), they will bike from Sipalay to Dumaguete (with an overnight stay in Bayawan City in between) — a daunting journey of 210 kilometers!

As lunch wound down, I realized that I shouldn’t have been surprised at all by Beaver’s plans. As we reminisced about ABS-CBN, I was constantly reminded of its tagline, “In the service of the Filipino.” That has been the Lopez family mantra for many decades and I have no doubt that Beaver will bring that brand of dedicated, selfless service to Congress if fortune favors his party list.