A LEADER WHO WALKS THE TALK

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROMEO PERALTA JR.

It’s 6:30 in the morning, just over an hour after sunrise. While most barangay chairpersons are about to get their day started, Alfredo “Freddy” Roxas is already at the Barangay Kaligayahan Hall in Quezon City—a routine for the second-term chairman.

“When it comes to leadership, you should set a very good example. Kailangang ipakita mo kung ano ‘yung gusto mong maging direction sa mga tao (It is necessary that you show the people the direction you
want to take),” Roxas tells LEAGUE.

He gestures to the table where he takes his breakfast daily, sharing that such practice began when he was working in his family’s school that caters to preschool up to college students.\

He confesses to being late a few times, arriving at 7 a.m., which is still earlier than the usual start of office hours.

Because of this, his employees have become time-conscious as well.

“Napasunod ko sila hindi dahil sa sinasabi ko. Napasunod ko sila dahil ginagawa ko (I was able to make them do the same not because I told them to. They followed what I do).”

RELUCTANT CANDIDATE
Roxas, 58, was born to a business-minded family in Tondo, Manila. He himself got into small ventures before putting up their school.

Since the 1990s, Roxas and his family have been giving grocery packs to residents near the school every Christmas. It was because of this holiday gift-giving that Roxas became known in the neighborhood, prompting residents to ask if he wanted to be their barangay chairperson.

That was more than two decades ago, and his answer was a resounding no.

“Walang pulitiko sa pamilya eh (There were no politicians in the family),” reasons the BS Mathematics graduate.

“Until such time na kakakulit, kakakulit (that with persistent prompting), I tried to run for the barangay chairperson position in 2007. Wala, hindi nga ako interesado, talo ako (Since I was not really
interested, I lost) by more than a hundred votes,” Roxas.....