LAL-LO MAYOR FLORENCE OLIVER PASCUAL
Mayor Oliver Pascual reveals that despite criticisms and insults, he stays calm and patient. For him, bringing their town to new heights requires an approachable leadership style
BY HELEN HERNANE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DANIEL SORIANO
The 2022 Elections is drawing near and troll accounts have been very active in posting false accusations or defamatory remarks on social media. Nowadays, turning on the television also mostly means encountering heated political arguments with criticism that are mostly thinly-veiled insults. For incumbents like Mayor Oliver Pascual of Lal-lo, Cagayan, this chaotic circus isn’t really surprising at all. Thus, he always addresses such with calmness and patience.
“Of course, criticisms really hurt, because whatever you do, there will always be complaints and critics will always exist. But I just keep in mind my father’s advice that I have to decide consistently for the good of the majority. Unceasingly bank on what is right and you will never go wrong” Mayor Pascual shares.
However, the young mayor of Lal-lo is far from being closed off from hearing thoughts and ideas from his townspeople. He also shared that pre-pandemic, he’d been very active in joining celebrations in which he would often have comfortable and honest discussions with his constituents.
“Mas nararamdaman ko yung sinasabi ng tao. They can easily say what they think—positive or negative. Sometimes, I hear their thoughts and feedbacks; their opinions over my ideas and projects. I usually take it as constructive criticism. Kung meron man silang sasabihin na hindi maganda about the administration, at least we can discuss it over a friendly conversation. If I see the point in their arguments, then I patiently
listen and talk to them on how we can solve the matter that is being raised,” Pascual adds.
Finding Balance
Mayor Oliver comes from a family of politicians that have previously led the municipality—his great grandfather, former Mayor Lucilo Pascual; his grandfather, former Vice Mayor Inocencio Pascual; his father, and his mother former Mayor (incumbent Vice Mayor) Maria Olivia Pascual. Mayor Oliver admitted that his father, Lal-lo former Mayor Florante Pascual, does not concur with some of his ways of connecting with people. But Pascual is adamant on leading in his own way, distinct from his parents’ leadership style......
