Transforming with Faith

AS A FAITH CAPITAL IN THE PHILIPPINES, DOLORES, QUEZON DRAWS PILGRIMS SEEKING SPIRITUAL CONNECTION. MAYOR ORLAN A. CALAYAG EMBODIES THIS DEVOTION AS HIS LIFE’S CHALLENGES SHAPED HIM AS A LEADER AND DEEPENED HIS FAITH, DRIVING HIS MISSION TO TRANSFORM THE TOWN INTO A SANCTUARY OF FAITH AND WELLNESS.

Dolores, Quezon Mayor Orlan A. Calayag cherishes memories of his childhood shaped by faith. When the church bells rang at six o’clock, everyone would pause from whatever they were doing, wherever they were in the town, to pray. Much has changed over the years, but Calayag emphasizes: "Dolores has transformed significantly since my childhood. But one thing remains unchanged—we will continue to uphold a culture deeply rooted in faith and dependence on God."

Dolores is home to Señora de los Dolores de Quezon, and its image is housed at the Parish and National Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows situated at the heart of the town. Dolores is a place of pilgrimage, visited by the Catholic faithful all year round.

There are also 80 religious sects in the town, Christians and Muslims, whose members harmoniously coexist. The local government of Dolores is requesting Congress to officially declare the municipality as the "Faith and Wellness Capital of the Philippines." This initiative is the reason why Calayag’s f irst move upon assuming office was to proclaim Dolores as the "Faith Capital of the Philippine" at the local level. "We are just waiting for the official legal declaration from Congress. It has already passed the House of Representatives, and I have requested the Senate to do the same. So, the bill had to be refiled," he explains. "But the congressmen have assured me that the process will not be as lengthy this time."

THE JOURNEY OF FAITH

Faith is the pillar that strengthened Calayag even before he joined public service. He started his professional career as the chief of staff of then-Congressman Prospero Alcala. Due to his strong family values, he moved to the United States (US) to join his wife. His early years in the US were not easy. He worked in a fast food chain and walked from home to work as he did not have a car, unlike in the Philippines. He and his wife moved into an apartment and ate using a balikbayan box as a table. Calayag recalls, "Although I did not come from a wealthy family, and we are not even that poor, those were very challenging times. But I never felt like I was a servant or a slave."

Calayag later found himself unemployed. But although he struggled to find work, he persisted. He became resilient and determined. “I told myself, this won’t stop me,” he says. He then discovered that he was overqualified for the job. His outlook changed then, and he entered the world of real estate. He realized that he needed US studies to improve his managerial skills. His real estate career seemed bright but challenges soon cropped up. The 2009 mortgage and real estate crash left thousands unemployed in the US He lost clients like many others.

Calayag persevered during the economic crash when others gave up. By seeing the good in every situation, he found an opportunity where others saw despair. Instead of lamenting the disaster, he saw Filipinos' resilience and helped them buy homes. He advised Filipinos in the US to buy homes when prices were cheap. "Houses were affordable, and they had legitimate employment and weren't scared to verify their income. The story begins there," he says. Friends who became his clients referred him to their friends, expanding his network. He also received multiple proposals from major banks and commercial firms. That was his breakthrough.

I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, IF I WERE GIVEN A CHANCE TO MAKE EVEN A SMALL CHANGE IN OUR COUNTRY, I WOULD SACRIFICE FOR IT WHOLEHEARTEDLY.

THE CALL TO SERVE

Calayag was already making good in the corporate world in the US when he was offered by then-President Benigno Aquino III to become the administrator of the National Food Authority (NFA). He had been recommended by his former boss, who during that time was the secretary of the Department of Agriculture. "It was in the headlines—NFA is still headless. At that time, many senior officials were vying for the position," he recalls. He was about to be promoted to a senior management position of the bank he works in in the US, but he gave much thought to Aquino's offer. "I thought to myself, if I were given a chance to make even a small change in our country, I would sacrifice for it wholeheartedly. So, I said, alright, I’ll give it a try."

The appointment to NFA changed Calayag and his wife’s plans. For one, they had established their own business, with his wife managing their nursing home in the US and it was earning very well. It was never in their plan for Calayag to join the national government or run for public office. But because of the offer to head NFA, they made a final decision to sell their properties, give up their businesses in the US and settle back in the Philippines.

Calayag began serving as NFA administrator on January 17, 2013. However, he was not free from issues and controversies, particularly regarding his eligibility to hold office due to his American citizenship. There were groups who questioned his appointment, but Calayag firmly stated that he had formally renounced his US citizenship before assuming the role, demonstrating his full commitment to serving the Filipino people. Despite the challenges, he was able to overcome the issues and was eventually cleared. The Office of the Executive Secretary also confirmed that he met all the qualifications required for the position.

THE UNWAVERING SUPPORT FROM FARMERS, STAKEHOLDERS, AND EVEN THE NFA EMPLOYEES’ UNION AFFIRMED THAT CALAYAG’S SACRIFICES WERE NOT FOR NAUGHT. FOR HIM, MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE’S LIVES IS THE TRUE MEASURE OF SUCCESS.

During those times of accusations against him, his eldest, who was just 10 years old at that time, reassured him with words that kept him going: “‘Tay, we don’t believe what’s being said about you in the news because we know you. Just promise that you will always do the right thing because we too are part of this, and we have sacrificed so much for it too." In retrospect, Calayag claims that NFA crises kept him grounded as he performed his role with the hope that his children and grandchildren would look back on what he achieved with pride.

Despite the many challenges, Calayag stayed in NFA for almost two years. He says he loved his job at NFA, and he takes pride in the transformation, reforms, and projects he implemented. He used his background in banking and finance to correct the perception that NFA was a non profitable government-owned and controlled corporation and implemented a middle-tier rice pricing system that allowed the agency to dramatically improve its financial position, making payment of a significant part of NFA’s debt possible. Instead of selling rice at Php27 or Php25 per kilo, NFA sold a higher-quality variety at Php32 per kilo. This strategy not only strengthened the NFA’s financial position but also ensured that it could support local farmers. “That period marked one of the lowest rice importation rates in NFA history. I made it a priority to buy local produce to benefit Filipino farmers. I received heartfelt letters from farmers, expressing how, for the first time, they could send their children to school without taking loans for tuition fees. One farmer even thanked me for helping him fulfill a lifelong dream—he was finally able to build a concrete house because the NFA had purchased all of his harvest,” Calayag proudly shares.

 The support of NFA employees and stakeholders, Calayag says, gave him a feeling of vindication. ”One of the most rewarding moments during my time at the NFA was receiving an open letter, signed by farmers, farmer leaders, and stakeholders, thanking me for the reforms I had introduced,” he recalls. But what made a great impact on him was the support he received from the NFA Employees’ Union. “Usually, a union is an adversary to management, but ours in NFA stood by me, by responding to allegations against me. Even after I left the NFA and ran for mayor, when false accusations about irregularities during my term resurfaced, the union explained the truth to the people.” He even keeps a placard at home, signed by NFA directors and farmer leaders, that reads, "In our hearts, in our minds, with our souls—you are the great NFA administrator ever." This reminds Calayag that his successful stint as administrator was worth all the challenges he faced and the sacrifices he made. “If given the chance, I would do it all over again. Even if it means risking my life. Because seeing people inspired by what you do, knowing you've made a difference—that's what truly matters,” he declares. After NFA, he served as an assistant secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

MILESTONES OF PROGRESS

It was never Calayag’s plan to become mayor of Dolores. He realized that his experiences and the network of friends he gained when he was with the national government could be leveraged for him to bring progress to Dolores. "I have my connections, and maybe I can capitalize on that to transform my town from nothing into a great inspiration for other towns. That’s where it all started,” he says, recalling what motivated him to run for mayor in 2019.

When he assumed office in 2019, the municipality’s annual income was about Php 99 million, but in just five years, this has increased to Php 183 million. This coincided with significant growth in the local business sector. Dolores also climbed from number 600 to number 30 in the Department of Trade and Industry’s Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index.

 I HAVE MY CONNECTIONS, AND MAYBE I CAN CAPITALIZE ON THAT TO TRANSFORM MY TOWN FROM NOTHING INTO A GREAT INSPIRATION FOR OTHER TOWNS

The mayor bares that when he took over, there were numerous issues about Commission on Audit (COA) findings. In his two terms as mayor, however, the municipality has consistently received recognition for good financial housekeeping every year, with COA findings always unmodified. An unmodified or unqualified opinion is issued  when the auditor concludes that the financial statements are prepared in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework and there is a reasonable level of assurance that such statements present a true and fair reflection of an entity's results for the period reported.

CALAYAG HAS NO PLANS TO SEEK HIGHER OFFICE OR HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER REPLACE HIM, BELIEVING THAT LEADERSHIP COMES WITH BOTH PRESTIGE AND RELENTLESS CHALLENGES. FOR HIM, DESTINY IS IN GOD’S HANDS.

Dolores has also been a consistent recipient of the Seal of Good Local Governance from the Department of the Interior and Local Government, in recognition of the efforts and programs of local government units that are showing excellent performance and integrity.

From being a fourth-class municipality, they are now a third-class municipality and have been ranked 30th among the most improved municipalities. Dolores is also a Subaybayani awardee for its outstanding performance in promoting excellent infrastructure governance and meaningful change.

Tourism has greatly improved, with the number of resorts growing from 1 when he assumed office in 2019 to 11 as he winds his second term. This was one of the reasons the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines, affiliated with the Department of Tourism, gave Dolores the Pearl Award, recognizing the municipality as among the best performers during the pandemic.

The municipality is also a KALASAG (Kalamidad at Sakuna Labanan Sariling Galing ang Kaligtasan) awardee by the Office of Civil Defense-National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (OCD-NDRRMC), highlighting benefits of the establishment of a disaster risk reduction and management building in Dolores.

To top these all, Calayag was recognized as an outstanding municipal mayor by the Association of Local Social Welfare and Development Officers of the Philippines Inc. (ALSWDOPI) for his exemplary leadership and dedication as a social welfare and development champion because of his steadfast commitment to promoting social welfare and fostering inclusive development that created a profound impact in his town. However, the mayor does not take sole credit for his achievements. He is thankful to his department heads and employees for the support and initiatives to make Dolores progressive. Some department heads are also awardees in various fields of recognition.

A BLUEPRINT FOR TRANSFORMATION

Calayag is a visionary leader who is driven to transform his town into a prosperous municipality. Dolores, however, only has 6000 hectares of land. Of these, 4,000 are agricultural lands. So he is now focusing his vision for Dolores on agriculture and tourism. "There's a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow tower, that means I have two pots of gold—tourism and agriculture," he says.

The mayor may struggle to promote and compete in tourism because Dolores has few resorts and no beaches, and the mountains are protected and restricted to climbers. He is certain, though, of his plans because he saw that even the Vatican, one of the smallest countries, gained the highest gross domestic product without industries or large commercial centers, but because people travel to the place to spend, donate, and purchase goods. Tagaytay, comparable in size to Dolores, is not industrialized, yet its robust economy thrives due to tourism. Calayag plans to capitalize on his influence and the network he established during his tenure in the national government to encourage friends to invest in his hometown. Major investors have already committed to starting their projects this year, but Calayag has refrained from revealing their identities or the specific projects they plan to initiate. For now, he is focusing on faith tourism, especially since Dolores is a pilgrimage town. Every Holy Week, Dolores welcomes hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, in part because the church of Our Lady of Sorrows has been declared as a national shrine. During Good Friday alone, up to 10,000 visitors f lock to the town. “Many do not consider these pilgrims as tourists, but anyone who is not from Dolores, comes to the town, and spends money is a tourist,” he explains. "I am not exploiting the church, but I am seeing economic potential in this."

In terms of agricultural tourism, since the entire population depends on agriculture, Calayag introduced a new program where farmers buy seeds from the Office of the Municipal Agriculturist but only pay 50 percent of the price, with the remainder being subsidized by the local government. In addition to being expensive for the government, giving farmers free seeds as dole-outs will not help, according to Calayag, who saw this support when he was with the DA. "Because it was free, farmers would simply ignore the damage caused by a typhoon and wait for the next batch of dole-outs," he explains. "Even though a bottle of seeds could cost more than Php5,000 or Php3,000, they didn’t feel the financial burden.” According to Calayag, the 50-50 program is successful because it encourages farmers to invest more in their crops with their own money.

A new program, Plant Now, Pay Later, allows farmers to borrow funds for their land. The farmers' association guarantees the loan, so farmers can't use it for other expenses that prevent planting. Should a farmer fail to repay the loan, the remaining farmers would bear the burden, leading to the association's blacklisting. These programs, according to Calayag, are gaining success and making the farmers self sufficient.

 Dolores takes great pride in its locally grown coffee and salabat (ginger tea), cultivated in partnership with various farmer associations. With support from the local government, these products are gaining wider recognition, even reaching markets in Hong Kong. Calayag and department heads actively promote them, emphasizing their origins from the foothills of Mount Banahaw—revered as the "healing mountain." "We use that uniqueness to set our products apart," they affirm.

 For health programs, the two infirmary clinics are being joined to create a super health center that would serve Dolores residents without having to go to San Pablo, Laguna, and other adjacent cities.

For education, aside from scholarship programs, the local government bought a 3.5-hectare tract of land for a community college set to open in 2026.

Calayag realizes that he cannot fully finish his plans and projects for Dolores even if he wins a third and final term as mayor. He has no plans to seek a higher office or nominate a family member. "They shouldn't go through it. Having the top position in town comes with prestige but also the hardest obstacles. Even when you're doing the right thing, people will say and think what they want, and you can't do anything about it,” he laments. Still, he remains confident about the future. “I live by faith. My destiny is dependent on God's hands," he ends.