Making His Own Mark in Public Service

Ishowed the people that I have my own brand of leadership, my own way of serving my provincemates.” Thus says Ilocos Norte 2nd District Representative Eugenio Angelo Marcos Barba of how he has managed to become a long-serving public official.

Today, Barba is an integral part of the House of Representatives, serving as chairperson of the Committee on the North Luzon Growth Quadrangle, vice chairperson of the Committee on Accounts, and member of ten other committees, including the powerful Committee on Appropriations.

NO STRANGER TO PUBLIC SERVICE

Barba is no stranger to public service. To start with, he comes from one of the most successful political families in the country, the Marcos clan of Ilocos Norte. His mother, the late Fortuna “Baby” Marcos Barba, is the youngest sister of the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos (FM). Incumbent President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. is his first cousin.

Barba has been in public service for three and a half decades. He served as three-term mayor of the municipality of San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, from 1992 to 2001, after which he became a senior provincial board member, representing the 2nd District from 2001 to 2010. He then became provincial vice governor, serving from 2010 to 2019. He is presently serving his second term in Congress.

While some may be quick to say that he has only relied on the public’s familiarity with his middle name in order to stay in government, Barba’s record of true public service has shown that his electoral victories have been genuine reflections of his constituents’ trust and confidence in him. His successful initiatives on various fronts, including sports, livelihood, and public safety, have clearly endeared him to the people of llocos Norte.

A TRUE PUBLIC SERVANT

“What inspired me to become a public servant was my upbringing,” shares Barba. “My father was a military man and my mother was a public school teacher. They showed me by example how one could help the people even in simple ways. And then, what motivated me more is that, after Kabataang Barangay, EDSA 1 happened and people were saying negative things about the kind of leadership of the Marcoses. So that motivated me to show the true kind of service that my family offers. I served as mayor of our town of San Nicolas and I showed the people, ‘This is the Marcos brand of public service.’”

“I do not call myself a politician; I call myself a public servant,” he continues. Again, he points to his upbringing as a major factor that shaped his approach to public service. “We were brought up in old-school values. We were taught to value family and community.”

Another factor that helped shape Barba’s leadership style was his exposure to community affairs at a young age. “I was a pioneer member of the Kabataang Barangay (KB),” he reveals. The KB was the precursor of the Sangguniang Kabataan. Established in 1975, the KB served primarily as an avenue for Filipino youth to express their views on matters that affected their communities and the whole country, and to help in ensuring the welfare of their communities.

Barba’s stint as mayor could be best described as low-profile but effective. He attributes this to a piece of advice he always heard from the late President FM. “He would always tell me and my mother, ‘Keep a low profile,’” he recalls. Heeding this, Barba performed his role sans fanfare.

Just as he worked silently, so did Barba not seek grandiose recognition for his contributions to his town and province’s development. “Whenever I am able to help my constituents, and I see them smile in return, I feel a sense of fulfilment as a public servant,” he shares. “I am content with hearing the people thank me for the help I was able to extend to them. When I see small children smile, when the elderly hold my hand and say ‘Thank you,’ I feel a deep sense of joy.” Such reactions, he says, are more precious than press releases announcing this or that project, or plaques stating one achievement or another.

FROM THE KAPITOLYO TO BATASAN

With his long history of public service, Barba was able to gain the trust and confidence of his provincemates, who elected him to Congress in 2019 by an overwhelming majority. With his extensive experience in local governance, he was named vice chairperson of the House Committee on Local Government.

Barba describes the transition from local legislator to national lawmaker as uncomplicated. “My nine years as board member and nine years as vice governor prepared me well to become a member of Congress,” he shares. Having mastered the essentials of lawmaking, he felt at home in Congress from day one. “Whereas I had previously been engaged in crafting local laws for our provincemates, I then had to deal with proposed pieces of legislation for Filipinos in general.”

The tedious process of national legislation, however, is something that he still has to get used to. “Unlike in local legislation where you could almost instantly see the results of your legislative efforts, crafting laws at the national level takes a lot of time, and it could take years before your bill is enacted into law, especially if it involves appropriating public funds” he shares.

Despite this, Barba’s first term as congressman was marked by active involvement in the affairs of the 18th Congress. Among others, he sponsored more than 550 House measures, and was instrumental in the establishment of a Technical Education and Skills Development Authority training hub in his district. The training center is a tangible proof of his resolve to help the province’s local industries such as loomweaving, artisanal soap making, and rice coffee production.

Riding on his successful first term, and banking on his clear promise that “Awan ti MaiBati (No One Left Behind)” the lawmaker’s reelection bid went smoothly, again gaining a very clear mandate. In his oath-taking, Barba described his victory as “everybody’s victory” even as he reiterated his will to push for programs that would help farmers, fisherfolk, and small businessmen have better opportunities in life.

FOCUS ON SPORTS

It is perhaps providential that Barba’s office at the Batasan Complex overlooks a tennis court. For one, the Ilocano congressman is a tennis enthusiast and champion of developing sports at the grassroots level.

The congressman’s AMB Tennis Clinic has been instrumental in getting Ilocanos, including young kids, to pick up tennis rackets. Facilitating the tennis clinics are topnotch tennis players, including former Davis Cup participants.

The sports enthusiast is also taking the same grassroots approach to promoting volleyball. He regularly holds a beach volleyball clinic for youngsters 14 to 21 years old. “I am happy to announce that our players are already being recruited by Metro Manila universities like Letran, Jose Rizal University, and Adamson,” he reveals about his AMB Beach Volleyball Clinic. The project is expected to become even better, as it has found a permanent home in the idyllic coastal towns of Currimao and Pagudpud. Promising tennis and beach volleyball clinic participants are given the chance to compete outside the province, as Barba thinks this is the best way for them to be even better athletes. “Our athletes who are based in the provinces need exposure through competitions. But then, there are no competitions in the provinces,” laments the former University of the East Varsity Tennis Team standout. “It is not enough that our athletes practice. They need to take part in competitions.” The annual AMB Beach Volleyball Tournament, meanwhile, has become an avenue for Ilocos Norte’s volleyball players to show their skills. Describing the tournament as more than a sports meet, Barba thinks of it as an inspiration for the youth to do their best and prove themselves worthy of stepping up to the professional leagues. The success of the AMB sports clinics has inspired Barba to seek to institutionalize a comprehensive sports program in the province. Together with Ilocos Norte 1st District Representative Sandro Marcos, he filed House Bill 6412, otherwise known as the INSPIRE Bill. The bill seeks to establish a sports academy in Ilocos Norte to be known as the Ilocos Norte Sports Institute and Research, which shall focus on implementing a special program for sports, focusing mainly on an “enhanced secondary education program with a curriculum specially designed for student-athletes.” The facility will have modern “sports facilities which are at par with international standards.” Meanwhile, the project’s research and development component will focus on sports medicine, sports rehabilitation, and athletes’ nutrition. The multi-pronged approach seeks to ensure a holistic approach to the development of student-athletes who are expected “to excel in sports, compete in local and international sports competitions, and eventually pursue their chosen career or profession.”

IMPROVING AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES

Remaining true to his promise of pushing for the welfare of farmers and fisherfolk, Barba refiled the proposed Young Farmers and Fisherfolk’s Challenge Act. The bill “seeks to establish a Young Farmers and Fisherfolk’s Challenge Program that shall support and empower young farmers and fisherfolk to be active partners in food security and agricultural development and modernization.” The program is meant to ensure that farmers and fisherfolk become the government’s active partners in formulating policies and implementing programs related to their sector. It is also expected to enable the government to help young Filipinos to become agrientrepreneurs.

The Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Council, which the bill also seeks to create, will be in charge of tasks such as ensuring access to capacity-building and livelihood programs; monitoring best practices in agriculture such as smart farming and farm tourism; proposing agriculture and agribusinessrelated subjects to be taught at the basic education level; and ensuring access to scholarships and financial grants for young farmers and fisherfolk studying in state colleges and universities. Meanwhile, Ilocos Norte being an agricultural province, Barba has made it part of his priority to help Ilocano farmers. For this, he emphasizes the need for synchronized efforts among elected officials and leaders of concerned government agencies. For instance, he laments how the use of water pumps distributed by his office will not be maximized unless the National Irrigation Authority is able to ensure the steady supply of water for irrigation in the province.

HELPING ENSURE A HEALTHY ECOLOGY

Barba’s House Bill 2412, meanwhile, is part of his efforts to ensure a balanced and healthy ecology. The proposed Rainwater Harvesting Facility Act seeks, among others, to establish “facilities to reduce flooding and the devastating effects of typhoons and other weather disturbances,” as well as “encourage the active participation of the public and private sectors in the flood mitigation efforts and initiatives of the government.” These facilities basically harvest rainwater and delay the release of such into drainage systems and natural waterways.

Once the bill is enacted into law, new residential, institutional, and commercial development projects with an area of at least 1,500 square meters shall allot at least three percent of the project’s total area as rainwater harvesting facility. Aside from helping prevent flooding, the proposed measure, Barba says, will greatly help in conserving potable water. It will provide building occupants with water that they can use for flushing toilets, watering plants, and air-cooling measures.

SUPPORT FOR AND FROM YOUNGER LEADERS

With his extensive experience in governance, Barba has served as an inspiration and source of wisdom for younger leaders in the province. Foremost among these are 1st District Representative Sandro Marcos and Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc. “It is heartening that they seek my counsel,” he says. “We talk about projects for the continued development of Ilocos Norte every chance we get.” He cites their rallying call, MASWIN—Matthew, Angelo, Sandro, Whole of Ilocos Norte— which encapsulates their resolve to work as one in serving their constituents. Barba, most importantly, has shown not only his nephews but also other young leaders in his province how it is to be one with the people. “I am a friend to all, an enemy to none,” he declares. “I have no enemies. I can walk from our house to the public market without a bodyguard; from our house to the tennis court [near the municipal hall] without a bodyguard.”

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD

Keeping in mind his election promise, Barba has pledged to continue pushing for his bills and projects meant to improve Ilocos Norte’s agriculture and tourism sectors. Looking forward, he envisions a revitalized Metro Ilocos Norte Council, the central authority tasked to supervise the implementation of a unified development plan in the province’s growth areas, particularly the cities of Laoag and Batac, and adjacent municipalities of San Nicolas, Sarrat, Paoay, and Bacarra. Launched by incumbent Senator Imee Marcos when she was Ilocos Norte governor, the body is tasked with implementing programs on housing; waste disposal and management; water supply management; transport and traffic management; and promotion of tourism in the aforementioned areas. As Barba looks back at the years when being part of the Marcos clan meant being a constant target of ridicule and political persecution, he thanks the handful of true friends who stood by him. He thanks, more than anyone else, his townmates and provincemates who gave him a chance to prove his worth as a leader. Having spent three terms each as mayor, provincial board member,

and vice governor, Congressman Angelo Marcos Barba is unequivocal in his desire to continue making a mark in the history of Ilocos Norte and in the hearts of his provincemates.