< Back Escape the Ordinary with CABADBARAN CITY’S Most Stunning Backdrops BY TREISHA C. ROVERO LUSONG COLD SPRING A nature reserve, this cold spring lives up to its reputation as a hidden wonder with crystal-clear water. Amidst the humid climate of the country, visitors can relish the refreshing experience of the cold spring. Large rocks provide opportunities for jumping if you're up for a challenge or can also be spots for relaxation. One of the spring’s notable features is its being safe for swimming despite the rocky terrain, thanks to its gentle current. As the tarpaulin in the area greets you with "Bugnaw pa sa inyong relasyon, (Clearer than your relationship)," locals ensure you leave with a cozy heart. VIEW DECK Get a glimpse of Cabadbaran City through this scenic overlook, ideal for early morning jogs or evening camping with friends and family. Situated within the Cabadbaran River Watershed Forest Reserve, where lush greens flourish, this view deck offers a quiet escape. Aside from this, the city government intends to develop the area to support small merchants, providing visitors with an opportunity to enjoy both the stunning vista and local cuisine. MUSEO DE CABADBARAN If you're interested in educational and culturally rich destinations, you might enjoy the Museo de Cabadbaran's antique collection. Located in front of the city hall, which is close to ancestral houses and Mt. Hilong-Hilong via the Mahaba-Baranas Trail, this museum showcases historical documents and ancient Chinese artifacts that reflect Cabadbaran's heritage. Among the exhibits are trade ceramics from the Sung Dynasty, burial jars, spears, rowing paddles, Paleolithic and Neolithic tools, and contemporary folk art collections. CAASINAN BEACH Are you searching for Instagram-worthy sunsets and unique black sand beaches? Caasinan Beach is the place for you. Conveniently located, this beach features cottages and open spaces perfect for family and friends to gather and relax. Visitors can enjoy the convenience of comfort rooms and a small store selling snacks, beer, and soft drinks. Be aware that the currents can be generally strong, so it's important for visitors with children to stay vigilant and keep a close watch on them. ROSEDALE’S KAPEHAN & SQUASH PANCIT CANTON There's nothing more relaxing than sipping hot chocolate in front of the majestic mountain view at Rosedale's Kapehan. Enjoy the scenery with their amazing pastries and kakanin, along with hot drinks that perfectly complement the cafe's vibe. Alternatively, if you enjoy pancit canton as many Filipinos do, consider trying a healthier version found in Cabadbaran City. You can try their squash pancit canton, which substitutes squash for the typical flour noodles. This version maintains the familiar taste while adding nutritional benefits from the squash.

< Back SAN NARCISO’S 11TH PAWIKAN FESTIVAL: A CELEBRATION OF COMMUNITY EFFORT BY TREISHA C. ROVERO READ ABOUT THE 11TH ANNUAL PAWIKAN FESTIVAL IN SAN NARCISO, ZAMBALES, A CELEBRATION OF EFFORTS TO PROTECT SEA TURTLES AGAINST POACHING AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS, WHERE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, STUDENTS, ENVIRONMENTALISTS, AND MILITARY PERSONNEL CAME TOGETHER TO SUPPORT NESTING SITE PRESERVATION, HATCHLING RELEASES, AND COMMUNITY-DRIVEN MARINE PROTECTION INITIATIVES. The 11th annual Pawikan Festival took place last January 17, 2025, in the coastal town of San Narciso, Zambales, bringing the community together to champion the conservation of endangered Olive ridley sea turtles. Held every second Friday of January, the festival highlights the crucial role these marine creatures play in the ecosystem and the ongoing efforts to protect them. This year’s event saw enthusiastic participation from schools across San Narciso, including representatives from the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) and members of the Navy Corps. Together, they celebrated the occasion by shedding light on the continuous conservation work being done, particularly at the nesting sites along La Paz Beach. The festival’s origins date back to December 28, 2013, when Katimpuyog Zambales Inc., in partnership with the Pawikan Rangers, organized the first-ever celebration. Interestingly, their president, Reynaldo Renaliza Sr. shared that many of these Pawikan Rangers were once poachers, but they have since transformed into passionate protectors of these sea turtles. Today, their dedication ensures that Olive Ridley turtle eggs and hatchlings are safeguarded. Every night, they patrol the shores, carefully collecting eggs, relocating them to secure environments, and monitoring their release back into the ocean. In the event that an injured turtle tries to dig through the sand and is having a hard time, the rangers help them by making sure they can still dig the perfect circle they need for their eggs. The Olive ridley sea turtle, or Lepidochelys olivacea, is highly sensitive to light and movement. These turtles prefer nesting under the cover of darkness, carefully selecting safe spots for their eggs. The pawikan season typically runs from October to March of the following year with eggs undergoing an incubation period of 45-52 days down on the sand. The Pawicare hatchery plays a critical role in this process, meticulously collecting and documenting the eggs before transferring them to a controlled environment where they can develop safely. Beyond being a vibrant cultural event, the Pawikan Festival is a powerful reminder of the importance of protecting natural habitats and the marine life that depends on them. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the Pawikan Rangers, more hatchlings now have a fighting chance to reach the sea. Their nightly patrols help safeguard eggs from poachers and other threats, reinforcing the significance of grassroots conservation efforts. One of the most touching moments of the festival is the ceremonial release of hatchlings into the ocean—a symbol of hope and renewal. As students, environmentalists, and military men gathered along La Paz Beach, they watched the tiny turtles make their way to the water, the fruit to months of dedicated care. Against the backdrop of the setting sun over La Paz beach, this collective effort to protect sea turtles reflects a deeper commitment to preserving the delicate balance of our marine ecosystem. With continued collaboration and advocacy, the legacy of the Pawikan Festival will endure, ensuring a brighter future for both sea turtles and the environment they call home.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte The Servant Leader What drove Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte to public service was a burning aspiration to reform government and improve its performance. BY JOYCE REYES-AGUILA PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROMEO PERALTA, JR. A progressive leader who chooses a path away from traditional politics—that’s how Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte wants to be known. She insists that she entered politics not for wealth, power, or prestige, and what drove her was a burning aspiration to reform government and improve its performance. “I have been described as forward-thinking,” she tells LEAGUE Magazine. “I am a crusader and a change-maker, and in this regard, I can say I am an idealist in a world of pragmatists. My vision is to strengthen institutions and standardize internal processes, protocols, and procedure for the purpose of maximizing the city’s resources in the delivery of basic services to our people, as well as to ease out corruption.” Belmonte has been serving Quezon City for 12 years now. She was previously the city’s vice mayor for three consecutive terms before vying for its highest office in 2019. On top of her agenda then were women’s rights, gender equality, enhancing social services particularly for the marginalized and migrating all government transactions online to eliminate face-to-face interaction that can lead to anomalous behavior. Belmonte says this ensures proper and honest collection of taxes. She also focused on decentralizing governance through the establishment of satellite action offices in all districts to enable her government to attend to the essential needs of their constituents efficiently, responsively and more conveniently. Belmonte also included the renovation and modernization of Quezon City’s health centers to ensure the digitalization of medical records, that medicine supply is immediately replenished and that each location will have one doctor. BUY MAGAZINE NOW TO READ FULL ARTICLE BACK

< Back Emerging From Crisis With A Mission BY RAGIE MAE TANO-ARELLANO THE PANDEMIC BROUGHT ABOUT MANY SAD STORIES, BUT IT HAS STIRRED THE HEART OF SAN JUAN COUNCILOR LORENZO FRANCISCO TAÑADA-YAM TO SERVE HIS CONSTITUENTS. C ouncilor Lorenzo Francisco Tañada-Yam’s job as a consultant to Mayor Francis Zamora during the COVID-19 pandemic deepened his care for the residents of San Juan City. It led him to witness the struggles of the people. For two years, he worked in the mayor’s office, seeing the people who need help with their health, work, unstable financial situations, and more. This experience, the councilor says, opened opportunities for him to consider entering public service himself. “I realized that I can do more. I can make a change in their lives, especially during these trying times,” Tañada-Yam explains. When the opportunity came to him to run under the mayor’s party, he immediately grabbed it. “From being a consultant, I was able to help this much, and in this role, through effective legislation, I can make bigger changes.” RUNS IN THE BLOOD The 23-year-old councilor is no stranger to politics. He comes from a family of public servants. He is the great-grandson of the longest-serving senator in the country, the late Senator Lorenzo Tañada who served the Philippines for 24 consecutive years. His father also served at the barangay level and tried to run for councilor in the city of San Juan, but never won. With this background, Tañada-Yam knew that entering public service is one way to make widespread, institutional changes. “It would inspire me when I would hear stories about my great-grandfather being the longest-serving senator in Philippine history. All the things he would do, all the stories I would hear, and witnessing it firsthand through my father, who served at the local level as barangay chairman,” shares Tañada- Yam. It’s the decisions that you make and the things that you do that really make an impact on people’s lives, whatever you do and whatever position you hold. Your service makes an impact on people’s lives. That’s what I believe. Tañada-Yam’s interest in politics started when he was a young student leader. He was a batch representative and member of the student council when he was in grade school, up until high school when he became the president of the student government. He was also the batch president of the College of Business at De La Salle University (DLSU) and the vice president of the whole batch. After college, he worked as a political affairs intern in the office of Senator Francisco “Kiko” Pangilinan. These experiences, according to the councilor, not only developed his character but fueled his passion to make an impact on people’s lives in whatever he does or in any position. One example was when he became part of the DLSU student council and they represented the student body in the consultation about the tuition fee hike. Tañada-Yam shares that the experience made him realize the weight of his position as a student representative because it directly affects his fellow students’ lives, even their family’s lives. “It’s the decisions that you make and the things that you do that really make a difference, whatever you do and whatever position you hold. Your service makes an impact on people’s lives. That’s what I believe,” explains Tañada-Yam. THE REAL WORLD There’s a big difference, however, between leading student councils and being part of a city council. Tañada-Yam has not yet reached a year in his stint as councilor. Although he was exposed to politics at an early age, he admits that he is not an expert who knows everything, and still needs opinions and wisdom from industry experts and veteran politicians. He describes his brand of leadership as consultative, which has been his style since his student council days. Tañada- Yam explains that he surrounds himself with smart, knowledgeable people especially if there’s a specific expertise needed: “I am the one who decides in the end. I learn by consulting with them, and I incorporate everyone’s decision into one solid solution.” He said that the pandemic’s traces are still evident, especially because there are still a lot of people who struggle to find jobs and are still feeling the pang. “For me, it’s about listening to what their needs are. Being the chairman of Ways and Means [Committee], I see firsthand all these business owners having a hard time paying outstanding balances during the pandemic because they were not able to reach targets or they have no income at all,” says Tañada- Yam. As much as he would want to help, however, his office can only do so much for the business owners. They helped coordinate with the legal and licensing offices to see what they can do for the business owners, especially with their outstanding taxes. But the limits of his position do not frustrate the young councilor, for he knows that his power is bound by the law which must be followed by everybody even, and especially, public servants such as himself. “Whatever compromises or concessions that we can make with these business owners, we will do it legally,” he stresses. He is not afraid to be honest with his constituents if he cannot provide remedies to their problems. Even if councilors do not implement projects, but rather create or craft legislation, Tañada-Yam shares that if there are projects that need their action, it is not done by one councilor alone but through collaborative efforts with other members of the city council. This year, however, he will focus on the scholarship program. Aside from the help of the national government, he will expand this program by looking for some kindhearted people and different companies to help in the education of some less privileged citizens of San Juan. Aside from scholarships, he is also working on adding more streetlights because certain areas are very dark. The councilor shares that when they were delivering goods during the pandemic, they were stumbling up an alley while walking to reach the houses. In order to install lights on roads and alleyways without access to light posts, Tañada-Yam is currently negotiating a partnership with a solar-powered lighting company and conducting feasibility studies on where to install solar lights in different barangays in San Juan. Along with cheaper electricity rates, Tañada-Yam thinks solar lights are more practical since they require less maintenance, are safer, and are in line with the city’s thrust of promoting renewable energy sources. By adding solar lights, the residents’ safety will also be improved. He adds that certain lights would be given away, while other lights would also be bought by the local administration. In addition to the 11 barangays in his district, he also wants to support 10 other barangays in the first district. BEING YOUNG IS NEVER AN EXCUSE TO HELP Tañada-Yam is the youngest of the 12 council members to be elected in San Juan’s history as well as in the 2022 elections. The 24-year-old councilor, who was 23 when he was elected, says, “That’s the accomplishment I’m proud of.” I didn’t find any difficulties [expressing] my thoughts, sharing with them my ideas. They also give me their feedback, which I am very much open to also. His age, according to him, is never an issue for the other councilors because the more senior ones recognize and accept the fact that he has a unique perspective on how service is carried out and how he approaches matters in the council. But Tañada-Yam humbly recognizes their breadth of experience and willingly learns from them, knowing that it’s a chance to further educate himself and connect with his fellow public servants. He is especially fortunate because everyone on the council, including the mayor, vice mayor, and all councilors, are members of the same party, Team Makabagong San Juan. He never feels like a newbie since the other council members view him as an equal, and the fact that he was chosen to chair two important committees—Ways and Means; and Urban Planning, Housing, and Zoning—is enough proof of this. Tañada-Yam emphasizes that being young should never be an excuse not to help, saying, “I didn’t find any difficulties [expressing] my thoughts, sharing with them my ideas. They also give me their feedback, which I am very much open to also.” The young councilor claims that his desire to help his constituents drives him to get out of bed every morning since it allows him to learn more about himself, his community, and local and national issues. “You understand their needs. Every day is a learning experience for me,” concludes Tañada-Yam.

< Back Flowing with Purpose: One Man's Mission for Clean Water BY AYNA GONZALES As the population continues to grow and the wheels of industry continue to turn, the demand for dependable water supply also increases. In the capital, Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad), a major water service provider, is actively addressing the growing needs of Filipinos at a time when climate change, long-term sustainability, and reliable customer service are at the forefront of the public utilities industry. And the man behind the company, Maynilad Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ramoncito “Mon” S. Fernandez, is prepared to navigate the challenges of providing clean water to his countrymen. LIFE AND BUSINESS THROUGH DISCIPLINE AND LOGICAL THINKING One might picture Fernandez in important meetings or long office hours. While this is a common view of CEOs, he balances work and life with a simple, established routine. “I am a morning person. I wake up very early,” Fernandez says. “By five o’clock I am out of bed. [Then] I go for a brisk walk from 5:30 to 6. Then I take my bath and proceed to hear the 6:30 a.m. mass. And then from there I go back, I take my breakfast. By 8, I’m already here in the office. And, I’m back home by 6 p.m. and have dinner with my family. Sometimes I have dinner meetings outside. But beyond that, I’m already asleep by 10.” Fernandez’s established routine also allows him to prioritize family time with his wife and children, enjoy weekend trips, and play golf. Fernandez attributes his systematic approach to life to his training in Industry Management Engineering at De La Salle University and in Management at the Asian Institute of Management. “Engineering gave me discipline and logical thinking, as well a systematic approach to things. Management on the other hand made my perspective wider, looking at the other aspects of business and making sure that they are also being addressed,” he explains. This philosophy of rational thinking, analysis, and strategic planning extends to Fernandez’s leadership at Maynilad, ensuring effective water management for residents of the West Zone of the Greater Manila Area. EXPANDING LONG-TERM WATER COVERAGE Maynilad currently services the western part of Metro Manila, including Caloocan, Las Piñas, Malabon, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Pasay, Parañaque, Valenzuela, parts of Manila, Quezon City, and Makati; as well as parts of Cavite province, particularly the City of Bacoor, City of Imus, Cavite City, Rosario, Noveleta, and Kawit. The company is aiming to increase its service coverage to 95.5% of the metro by 2027 and up to 98.6% by 2047—an ambitious goal the achievement of which the company is already making headway in. “I think the basic answer to the service coverage improvement is water security. And the biggest remaining part for me, of our water security, is the completion of the Kaliwa Dam,” explains Fernandez. “The Kaliwa Dam is a project of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and the two concessionaires to ensure an additional supply of 600 million liters per day (MLD) for Metro Manila. The good thing about Kaliwa Dam is it has a different rain pattern than Angat Dam. So it is a climate change resiliency solution also, aside from increasing the capacity.” “And for Maynilad, we’re building a 300 MLD treatment plant in Teresa, Rizal to get the water from Kaliwa Dam. And also, we’re building a 72-kilometer conveyance system that will connect that treatment plant to our customers. Aside from that, we have completed our Poblacion Water Treatment Plant as of March this year, with a 150 MLD capacity,” he further elaborates. PROVIDING WATER TO REMOTE AREAS IN THE PHILIPPINES Apart from new business plans, Fernandez and his team are also occupied with their pro-poor corporate social responsibility (CSR) project, Samahang Tubig Maynilad (Water Association of Maynilad). Water inaccessibility remains an issue in some parts of the West Zone. Faced with this reality, the company strives to provide water service to underserved residents in its service area. Its community development program provides poor communities access to clean water by adressing issues that hinder urban poor communities from being connected to Maynilad water lines, such as right-of-way conflicts, land disputes, and residents' limited finances. Fernandez hopes to work with local government units in providing clean water for drinking and sanitation needs to poor communities. Samahang Tubig Maynilad is the original charity venture for the company, followed by their Pag-asa sa Patubig Partnership (Water For All Partnership) with Filipino social business group Tubig Pag-asa (Better with Water). Through these CSR programs, underprivileged communities within Maynilad’s coverage area gain access to the company’s distribution system through public faucets and submeters, eliminating the need to purchase overpriced water from refilling stations or resellers. “Through this initiative, we were able to give water to those communities that have concerns regarding land titles, right of way, and bringing water to areas outside the distribution system,” says Fernandez. “What we have been doing outside our concession area are basically CSR projects, specifically helping supply the hydration requirements of the communities that were affected by calamities.” INVESTING IN SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES IN WATER SERVICES Apart from social causes, Maynilad is dedicating its resources to the research and development of sustainable water sanitation processes and infrastructure. A major bulk of their investment is directed toward minimizing non-revenue water (NRW) or water loss, thereby enhancing the efficiency of their water supply distribution system. The biggest contributor to NRW is physical loss or leaks from the old pipelines, which Maynilad inherited from the government upon reprivatization. “Actually, we still have a few pipes that were laid by the Spaniards and Americans that have long been there,” the CEO jokes. "We have actually budgeted close to Php20 billion in our current business plan for NRW management alone. We have accelerated some of our projects. We have a budget of Php 4 billion for this year alone," declares Fernandez. “This money or capex (capital expenditure) budget will be spent in our leak detection programs, establishment of district metered areas, replacement of meters, and also pipe replacement.” Maynilad’s green efforts have not gone unnoticed as the water services behemoth earned a nomination for its green energy measures in the 2023 Europa Awards, the prestigious awarding body that celebrates companies adhering to global sustainability standards in energy, water management, and circular economy advocacies. Maynilad has also installed photovoltaic solar panels at their La Mesa compound to reduce carbon emissions. Additionally, they aim to transition 50% of the company's fleet to electric vehicles by 2037. Furthermore, Maynilad’s sewage treatment plants are being upgraded per the new regulations from DENR to follow new and more stringent effluent quality standards. A NEW TREATMENT PLANT AND WATER ACADEMY As part of their long-term water security and 100% coverage plan, Maynilad has recently inaugurated their new Poblacion Water Treatment Plant in Muntinlupa. This 150 MLD plant will be serving the southern part of Metro Manila and expand into surrounding areas. Currently, Maynilad operates two treatment plants in Putatan, Muntinlupa. These facilities face challenges in the varying raw water quality of Laguna Lake that have begun exceeding historical quality parameters due to the effects of climate change, urbanization and pollution. These raw water quality shifts often necessitate halting water distribution to resolve quality concerns. The new treatment plant in Poblacion was built to increase Maynilad's water production in the south, ensuring more reliable water service despite the deteriorating raw water quality in the lake. “Because before the Poblacion Water Treatment Plant was constructed, a single malfunction in Putatan would cause us to interrupt water distribution to our customers. But because of the construction of the Poblacion plant, we have enough capacity now to absorb the demand of our customers in the south,” Fernandez explains. The new plant will also have a stringent water treatment process, starting with dissolved air flotation, followed by cloth filtration, biological aerated filtration, ultrafiltration, and reverse osmosis. Aside from the improved treatment procedure, significant infrastructure upgrades have been made for the existing treatment plants in Putatan. "We dredged the Laguna Lake portion within a 200-meter radius of our treatment plants' intake structure and installed a silt curtain around it. We've also deployed several units of ultrasonic algae control equipment to address the growth of algae in the lake," he clarifies further. An additional Php 240 billion investment has been made by Maynilad for infrastructure and distribution enhancements in the coming years. “The years 2023 to 2027 are hinged on three pillars. Number one is water security and climate change adaptability. Number two is environmental sustainability. And number three is service accessibility expansion,” Fernandez shares. Meanwhile, Maynilad also strives to establish itself as a thought leader in the industry through its Maynilad Water Academy, which is the first learning institution in the Philippines dedicated to the advancement of the water and wastewater industry. Since its establishment in 2011, the Maynilad Water Academy has created an environment for learning and benchmarking of best practices in water, sanitation, and hygiene in the Philippines and across Asia. “Its objective is to disseminate information and make both our customers and even our non-customers and the regulators, both here and abroad, share industry best practices, basic information and advanced information on water and wastewater” Fernandez says. “At Water Academy, we have partnered with different institutions such as Asian Development Bank and United States Agency for International Development. And as I mentioned, we have gone out of the Philippines. We have had projects in Pakistan and even in Africa and also in Bangladesh.” IT'S ALL ABOUT CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE. MAKING SURE YOU'RE ALWAYS AHEAD IN TERMS OF ANTICIPATING WHAT YOUR CUSTOMERS NEED... THAT HAS TO BE AT THE CENTER OF ANY COMPANY'S PRIORITY. CREATING A CUSTOMER-CENTRIC BUSINESS AND PUTTING GOD FIRST With so many ongoing and future projects, Fernandez and the entire Maynilad team have their hands full. Given his many achievements, it’s clear why Fernandez is consistently recognized as one of the country’s most skilled CEOs. His vision for water services isn’t based on some grand scheme to be at the top of the industry or to hit a certain level of revenue—it is to provide the best service to his customers. "It's all about customer experience. Making sure you're always ahead in terms of anticipating what your customers need... that has to be at the center of any company's priority," Fernandez says. Continuous innovation is also a huge factor in the future of Maynilad. “In any public utility, you need to continuously innovate. Your customers are always changing. Your customers need better service every time, even if your service has already improved. You still need to continuously improve,” he boldly declares. Asked what his advice for aspiring leaders in this sector is, Fernandez offers five pointers, drawing from his experience overcoming numerous challenges and emerging triumphant. “First, humility. Even if you are a leader, even if you are the president or the highest ranking leader in any organization, you should continue to be humble. Number two is patience. You will continue to face a lot of problems, a lot of concerns here and there, from different stakeholders, but you just need to be patient,” he stresses. “Third is choosing your battles. Just choose. Don’t entertain unnecessary distractions because you’ll lose focus then. The fourth is decisiveness. When you need to decide as a leader, whether it is an unpopular decision or not, you just have to decide and face the consequences. And last but not the least, God first,” he ends.

< Back THE PEOPLE’S MAYOR Marikina City Mayor Marcelino “Marcy” Teodoro reveals his simple yet effective approach to governance. BY GODFREY DANCEL PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROMEO PERALTA JR. Commonsense governance” is how Marikina City Mayor Marcelino “Marcy” Teodoro describes his leadership style. This may not sound good enough or even familiar to most, especially those who have been accustomed to the complicated yet ineffective style of other local leaders. Teodoro’s style, however, has proven effective in making Marikina a liveable city, maintaining its parochial vibe even as it embraces development. Among others, the City of Good Conduct stands out as a city where discipline and citizen involvement play major parts in the success of local government programs. STAYING GROUNDED “You simply do what is required by common sense,” Teodoro states when asked to elaborate about his leadership style. “We’re grounded; we simply need to connect with people. We tend to consult experts in urban planning and governance, but more importantly, we do genuine dialogue with the people. It is from them that we derive our programs; it is from their ideas and suggestions that we derive and establish our government policies.” As for policies and programs, Teodoro knows fully well that these should not be static but rather dynamic. “They should be able to evolve with the needs and urgencies of the people,” he stresses. “Nakikinig lang kami sa mga tao. Ganon ang aming ginagawa. Ganon kasimple (We simply listen to the people. That’s how we do things. It’s that simple).” With this, Teodoro underscores the need to keep in touch with the people: “Very clearly, there should be no cordon sanitaire (barrier). The connection should be there; it has to be personal.” He reveals how, when he and other city officials are discussing a program, they don’t simply discuss such in the boardroom or in a conference area, or talk among themselves. He points to a “very simple exercise” that has become an integral part of their decision-making process. “We tend to go outside the city hall, talk to people in the streets, go to their communities, try to immerse ourselves in their activities,” he reveals. Indeed, connecting with the people is no problem for Teodoro. He is one of them. “That is not a problem because I live in a neighborhood where I can engage with the people as their mayor and as a neighbor. [I see the problems, and] I find them basic. The place is dark so there’s a problem with peace and order. So if the place is dark, what should be done to solve the problem? Quite simple. Lagyan ng ilaw ‘yung poste. Kung pundido ‘yung ilaw, palitan (Install lights on the lamppost. If the lightbulb is busted, replace it). If the drainage is silted [and contributes to the flooding woes], declog it. Those kinds of things [get noticed and addressed fast enough because we see them firsthand],” Teodoro adds. Marikeños, in return, have responded positively to Teodoro’s simple yet effective approach to governance. “[It is because] the people feel that we are one with them,” he shares. “There’s this sense of community prevailing in Marikina.” This sense of community based on a common vision and shared experiences has become a key element in the local government’s ability to provide the necessary services to their constituents. COMMONSENSE GOVERNANCE IN ACTION Teodoro’s commonsense governance proved useful at the height of the pandemic, particularly in November 2020 when massive flooding in the city caused by Typhoon Ulysses made rescue, response, and evacuation efforts especially difficult. This governance challenge proved a test of the mayor’s leadership and organizational dexterity, especially since at the peak of the crisis, there was a shortage of COVID-19 medicines. Like other local governments, the city government of Marikina, as grassroots service provider, was hard-hit by the impact of the crisis as its constituency suffered from the infection, mobility restrictions, and financial woes. For Teodoro, time was crucial and he had to be assertive and aggressive. “Hindi dapat patagalin at baka ‘di umabot, ‘di mapakinabangan (You shouldn’t dillydally as the supplies could arrive late and thus prove useless),” he stresses. Recognizing testing as the foundation of any COVID-19 surveillance system and the most logical and common-sense response, Teodoro stood firm on putting up the pioneer local government-established and managed molecular diagnostic laboratory conducting compliant RT-PCR testing, saying: “I simply followed the logic that we need to have our own testing laboratory to avoid dependency on other LGUs. We wanted to ensure that all Marikina residents will have access to COVID-19 testing and we cannot guarantee this without our own testing capacity. Empathy is at the forefront of our every decision. We recognize the value of a fast and efficient testing system which results in less quarantine time for suspected cases; and immediate isolation, treatment if needed, and contact tracing for positive cases. The pandemic has significant effects on mental health and with our quick delivery of results, we hope to alleviate mental suffering.” Teodoro immediately ordered the setting up of the COVID-19 health facility and training of the medical personnel, as well as readied the logistical requirements for the operation of the center. However, the Department of Health (DOH) accreditation of the center was delayed, prompting Teodoro to relentlessly lobby. Shortly after then-DOH Secretary Francisco Duque himself visited the facility, he declared Marikina’s molecular laboratory as a “gold standard facility.” A LIFE OF PUBLIC SERVICE The third-term mayor should know how to respond to the people’s needs. After all, the University of the Philippines (UP) and Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) alumnus has been in public service for three decades. He first joined politics in 1992, successfully landing a seat at the Marikina City Council. The then-22-year-old AdMU philosophy instructor felt that he needed to be in government and as an educator, he also wanted to be somewhere he could apply all the theories he was teaching his students. After three consecutive terms, he served as chief of the Marikina Settlements Office, where he attended to the needs of informal settlers. He made a political comeback in 2007 as Congressional representative of the 1st District of Marikina, serving for three terms until 2016. His successful bid for the mayoral seat in 2016 paved the way for him to apply his learnings in public service, this time as local chief executive. This sense of community based on a common vision and shared experiences has become a key element in the local government’s ability to provide the necessary services to their constituents. He notes how, today, he is better able to relate to their lawmakers and other local government officials. “Today, when I speak with our congresswomen, mas naiintindihan ko sila (I understand them better). ‘Pag kausap ko ‘yung mga konsehal, ‘pag mayroon kaming priority agenda sa (When I speak with coucilors regarding our priority agenda in the) council, I understand them better because I was once a part of the council.” With Teodoro’s commonsense style of governance comes a clearer understanding of what is happening in the city and what needs to be done. “What I have learned is that you should always have the ability to listen to everybody. You should have tolerance to accept the opinions and recommendations of your co-workers in government. Ang importante, pakinggan mo ‘yung sinasabi ng ordinaryong kawani ng pamahalaan. Siguro ‘yun ang na-develop sa akin (What matters is you listen to what ordinary government employees have to say. I think I developed that attitude) having served in both the legislative and executive branches of government,” he muses. The well-loved mayor goes back to a constant in all the roles he has performed in the city. “One thing remains the same,” he says. “It’s the people. I serve the same people.” GREATER RESPONSIBILITY For all his—and members of his slate’s— efforts, Marikeño voters gave Team Marcy a resounding victory last May. The landslide victory, however, is more than just a simple testament to the Marikeños’ trust and confidence in Teodoro and his team’s competence and dedication to service. “It comes with a greater responsibility,” Teodoro stresses. “We believe that every Marikeño has a stake in every activity, every event happening in Marikina. So they expect more, actually. They expect [the local government] to help them fully recover from the effects of COVID-19. There are great expectations with regard to economic recovery, job generation, mitigating the effects of flooding in the city. These are things that are expected from us.” The people’s expectation of Marikina being as liveable as possible for the greater number of people is not lost on Teodoro either. With this, he strives to make Marikina “remain as a place they could live in conveniently, safely, and peacefully; a place where they could raise their family, where they could work and play at the same time.” This, he adds, is the reason the city government is “developing our parks, establishing park connectors, developing open spaces. We’re developing Marikina as a community where you could safely be with your family.” To live up to the people’s expectations, Teodoro sees the need to continually improve the city government’s organizational capability. “Programs should be institutional and not reactionary. Programs should be conceived not only to win elections but rather institutional and sustainable,” he asserts. LOOKING AHEAD Indeed, institutional and sustainable programs are what are needed to address two of Marikina’s major concerns today: leading the city into the new normal and lessening flooding. “It’s a day-to-day challenge,” Teodoro says when asked about plans heading into the new normal. “We need a roadmap, and that roadmap we’re [currently] trying to determine. We should be able to establish a resilient healthcare system, efficient public transportation for everybody, a COVID-free workplace. We should be able to safely open our schools so our children could resume learning. And we should be able to provide a safe and conducive learning environment for them. Also, we need to energize employment and economic activities.” He recognizes that resilience would help Marikeños get by, but just as he did during the most difficult days of the pandemic, stresses that it is government’s responsibility to ensure the common good. Meanwhile, flooding is a perennial problem that confronts Marikeños. With Teodoro’s holistic approach, however, the city’s residents have reason to believe that this may eventually become a thing of the past. “The approach really is generational,” stresses Teodoro. “It’s inter-generation. The problem started during the time of the previous generation, and whatever solutions we come up with now, the effects will be felt by the next generation.” The mayor points to the concept of stewardship as being central to efforts in solving the problem. “We are mere stewards of this Earth. A reforestation program is very important. But reforestation cannot be done in Marikina. Marikina is a valley surrounded by the Sierra Madre mountains. So if the Sierrra Madre is denuded, the water will flow to our place.” Interconnectedness is another concept Teodoro identifies as being crucial. “We are one Earth, one ecosystem. Our problem of flooding is not a standalone problem. The water that floods Marikina comes from upstream. Marikina River being a downstream river is part of a river system that comes from Antipolo and Sierra Madre. So geographically, it’s really a problem not only of Marikina. So the approach and solution to the problem of flooding should not come simply or unilaterally from Marikina,” he explains. He points to the construction of a water retention dam being built in Montalban, Rizal as a perfect example. Among the interregional solutions that the people’s mayor identifies as part of a holistic approach to flooding are proper garbage disposal and desiltation. He notes how garbage dumped upstream will also adversely affect people living downstream. As water from Marikina flows to Manila Bay and Laguna Lake, siltation in these outfall areas will mean continued flooding in Marikina as the water cannot be discharged properly. With clear plans in place to address the above concerns, Marikeños could look forward to continued improvements in their individual and collective lives. They are also sure to respond positively to their mayor’s call for them to “be one, [to] work as one community” and to “identify what is beautiful, what’s good, and what is needed and work together towards that goal.” After all, Teodoro is one of them. He is the people’s mayor.

< Back Sorsogon’s Son Returns Governor Chiz Escudero talks about revitalizing agriculture through contract farming, tackling organizational inefficiencies, and preventing health epidemics BY JOHN LEE CANDELARIA PHOTOGRAPHY BY DANIEL SORIANO Chiz is home again. After almost two decades in national politics, first as Sorsogon representative andeventually as senator, he went back to his roots this year, as elected governor of the province of Sorsogon. “I have been serving the entire country for the longest time. I think it’s time I brought home what Ilearned from all over the country and the world.” After all, Sorsogon is not just his hometown, but is also the place where his interest in politics and public service began. THE CALL TO PUBLIC SERVICE Chiz or Francis Joseph Guevara Escudero, started his political career at the age of 28. He admitted having had intentions of running for office as early as his law school days, but his parents felt it was vital for him to finish his studies first. He went to the University of the Philippines from grade school to law school and completed a master’s degree in International and Comparative Law at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. While his political career started in 1998, Chiz’s training started much earlier. He remembers the kindling of his inclination to politics when his father ran as an assemblyman in 1984, and as congressional representative in 1987. Chiz handled the youth group called “Youth Volunteers for Sorsogon” that went around the province for the campaign. In 1992, he dealt with the headquarter operations of his father’s campaign, and in 1995 he was in charge of sample ballot distribution and barangay captain training. He believes he knows how to run a grassroots campaign, and the local political scene was no stranger to him, especially after having won elections at a national level. “The transition was easy,” he recounts, “from running a national campaign nationwide covering 42,000 barangays, all of a sudden I was running in 541.” For Chiz, his campaign for Sorsogon governor was more relaxed because it had fewer variables. The area was smaller compared to a national level campaign, and more importantly, he already knew everyone. “I never stopped coming home. I’ve always believed that it’s useless to be known nationwide if you do not have a province to come home to,” he explains. VALUABLE LESSONS FROM A FAMILY LEGACY It may have been easy, but Chiz knows he has a legacy to measure up to. His great grandfather was Sorsogon governor during the war years, while his father served as a local representative. “My father’s legacy made me aspire to surpass what they accomplished,” he quips. "For the longest time, we just got by. I want my fellow Sorsoganon to be hungry for change, for development, and aspire for something bigger, more than what they have now.” He is also inspired by his father, whom he credits for the way he relates with other people. “The greatest lesson I learned from my father is that nothing lasts forever, and my time as a senator, congressman, or governor is limited. I know I should treat the people I meet properly because as the saying goes, the people you meet on your way up are the same people you meet on your way down.” He also credits the no-frills lifestyle that he learned from his father. Salvador ‘Tatay Sonny’ H. Escudero III served as Minister of Food and Agriculture during the time of President Ferdinand Marcos. Chiz says his father could have taken advantage of the political situation and enriched their family during that time, but they remained simple and straightforward. “We did not have bodyguards or drivers. I rode public transportation all the time. When Marcos left, our lifestyle remained the same, and I appreciate my father all the more for it.” PREPARING FOR A LOCAL GOVERNMENT STINT Chiz believes his experience in the national level has prepared him for his local government role, but he admits he still has to refresh himself of existing local government-related laws, rules, and other relevant policies. He is also confident that his experience as senator nurtured his local government leadership capabilities. “I met and worked with a lot of people who are in the position to actually give Sorsogon a second look.” He hopes that the connections he had built for the past two decades as a senator could help Sorsogon to be in the radar of national government agencies whenever they think of programs or projects. He admits, however, that he now tends to be impatient and short-fused, since being a local executive is worlds apart from being a legislator. “As a legislator, when you pass laws, you accept that it will take time before it could be felt by the people. But as an executive, I know that it can, and it should be felt by the people almost immediately.” He notes that in the local scene, expectations run high and that he is impatient when it comes to seeing this get done. “When I look back, it has only been months since I assumed office. But as my coworkers in the province say, it feels like years already.” TACKLING PROBLEMS HEAD-ON A crucial problem Chiz saw upon taking the helm of Sorsogon’s leadership is the organizational inefficiency that is robbing the people of their rightful government services. “The budget of Sorsogon is Php1.4 billion. The salaries of personnel, job orders, and contractual workers cost Php710 million. What’s left for the people?” He also cites an example of the province’s agriculture department, whose budget for salaries and other expenses is at Php33 million while the budget for projects is a measly Php2.3 million. He asserts that this is a problem that needs solving fast, since “a bigger chunk of the budget should be for the people.” To tackle the organizational inefficiencies, the Sorsogon provincial government has partnered with the University of the Philippines’ National College of Public Administration and Governance for rightsizing. They have also partnered with the Development Academy of the Philippines to calibrate the province’s quality management system. They aim to reduce the personnel salaries by 50% and channel those savings to projects and programs that will benefit the people. Chiz firmly believes that the province should realize its potential. “For the longest time, we just got by,” he says. “I want my fellow Sorsoganon to be hungry for change, for development, and aspire for something bigger, more than what they have now.” SETTING PRIORITIES Agriculture is on top of the new governor’s list. Sorsogon’s local economy is agriculture-based, and the provincial government intends to improve the industry through contract farming, a largescale agricultural activity that involves not just production but also marketing and distribution. “We will fund everything, then buy everything,” says Chiz, “and try to compute backward to make sure that our farmers and fishermen earn at least minimum wage.” He claims that at the rate the farmers are earning today, the goal of ensuring minimum wage means that their earnings would triple. To do this, he takes a page from his father’s playbook when the latter served as agriculture secretary: to identify what is the best crop to plant and where, using data from soil quality, slope, and weather pattern. Through this, he believes that fishermen and farmers can find another source of income during months when their agricultural activities are not feasible due to weather constraints. Increasing income from agriculture not only helps the farmers but also revitalizes the image of agriculture for young people. “Ask around... would a farmer or fisherman’s children aspire to be farmers or fishermen themselves? It’s because they are not earning much.” According to Chiz, improving earnings in the agriculture sector would change the way we view farmers and fishermen: from laborers to entrepreneurs. He shares that his campaign promise was two-pronged: livelihood and health. Thus, another priority for him is improving access to healthcare services and introducing programs to avoid epidemics such as dengue, currently a national concern. Sorsogon has espoused traditional and non-traditional methods of addressing the dengue problem, and dengue figures in the province have gone down. Last July 8, Chiz signed an executive order directing all local provincial government officials from the mayors down to the barangay chairpersons to strictly comply with and implement the 4-S anti-dengue campaign of the Department of Health (DOH). Chiz and all the other provincial officers led the July 29 Anti-Dengue Drive where all Sorsoganons also simultaneously participated in cleaning their surroundings. Fogging and misting were also conducted after the clean-up drive. He also makes use of social media through his official page and that of the Provincial Information Office to regularly post reminders on preventing dengue-carrying mosquitoes from multiplying. Sorsogon is also one of the sites for the advanced implementation of universal health care. He claims the province will be able to provide excellent, first-world healthcare slowly but surely, and ensure 100 percent access regardless of socioeconomic background. Chiz says he has no lofty dreams for Sorsogon, he only wants to provide the opportunities and resources for every Sorsoganon to live out their dreams. His attention to livelihood and healthcare is borne out of what he believes is what local governments must focus on for their citizens. He also contends that what matters most for him is to realize and fulfill whatever dream each Sorsoganon has. He quips, “It is not my job to dream for Sorsogon, but I will enable and uplift Sorsoganons to realize their dreams for the province.” GETTING GOOD ADVICE Sharing best practices among local governments is necessary, according to Chiz. “There is no ego involved here: I literally called all my friends who are governors to ask what they have done and how they did it. I had two governor-friends send me all the ordinances they passed for the past three to six years.” Chiz knows he may be seasoned in the legislative, but in the executive, he needs all the help, and he tapped other local executives for that purpose. “I’m open to ideas, since nobody owns all the knowledge necessary to perform, run an office, or serve your constituents.” He credits his close friends Bataan Governor Abet Garcia and La Union Governor Pacoy Ortega who have been generous to his calls for help. In turn, he believes that whatever the province achieves during his term as governor will be shared to anyone interested. According to Chiz, local governments thrive when leaders set their egos aside and look beyond their backyard for solutions to problems that they do not have, but others do. Chiz is adamant that the legacy he intends to leave for Sorsogon is as simple as being remembered. He shares that it is enough for him that at least a single person remembers the good things he has done as a congressman, senator, or governor. He intends to leave a mark that people could someday encounter and remember him by, like the governor that changed the face of the provincial capitol or provided excellent service to the people. “I don’t need a statue after my image,” says Chiz, “but as long as one person remembers me, that’s enough.” WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS Chiz says he is not considering running for a higher national position again. “It has passed,” he says, referring to his failed run for Vice President in 2016. “I ran to give it a shot, to find out once and for all. The last thing I want is to hold my life in suspended animation, asking what could have been,” he muses. As for a return to the Senate, he says things are not defined yet. It has not even been a year since he took the helm of the provincial government. “I do not think there will ever be a dearth of candidates for national positions,” he shares. 2022 is still far away, and it seems Chiz is focusing all his energies toward Sorsogon. It is somehow emblematic of Chiz to take each day as it goes by, as he asserts to not have a life philosophy: he decides by whatever principle applies best “based on what I think is right, proper and just,” he says. Logically, it follows that his stint as Sorsogon governor is more than birthright or legacy. In his own words, “It’s simply coming home,” and he says, “I’m already happy.” "I never stopped coming home. I’ve always believed that it’s useless to be known nationwide if you do not have a province to come home to.” Click here to read full article for free

bf9f6b2f-f61d-4a3b-b988-10d7f612417a < Back BAGUIO 2.0 Baguio City Representative Mark Go dreams of an entrepreneurial and digitally savvy nation. BY GAY ACE DOMINGO PHOTOGRAPHY BY IVAN LLANETA After years and years of building one’s career, most people would choose to ride into the sunset of their life’s work, opting to retire or at least slow down their activities as they pass on their time-earned wisdom and knowledge to the younger generation. This was not the case for Marquez “Mark” Go, the representative of the lone district of Baguio City. Congressman Go was enjoying the fruits of his hard work, stemming from his fruitful professional career as a human resource practitioner and a businessman when he chose the road less taken—to leave his comfort zone in the private sector, where he had earned much of his own success, and enter the realm of public service. It is a decision that would cause many to raise their eyebrows. After all, why leave the confines of the corporate world to enter the unfamiliar and complex territory of public service when he could easily be resting on his own laurels? Yet the love for home and community beckoned and prevailed. Armed with only the will to serve and the commitment to make a difference in his beloved Baguio, Go left behind decades of accomplishment in the corporate world and business in order to wade into previously uncharted territory as a public servant. Today, he serves his second term as the Congressional representative of the famed “City of Pines.” Whereas he would once hop from one enterprise to another as he supervised his business affairs, Go now follows a different schedule. The representative shuttles regularly from Baguio where he meets his constituents, to Batasan, Quezon City, home of the House of Representatives as he attends to the several Congressional committees that he serves. He sits as the Chairperson of the Committee on Higher and Technical Education and Vice Chair of the Committee on Labor and Employment, while he regularly participates as member of the following committees: Basic Education; Tourism; Trade and Industry; Ways and Means; Public Works and Highways; North Luzon Growth Quadrangle; Government Reorganization; Indigenous Cultural Communities, and Bases Conversion. Given his impressive track record within the short time he has been a member of Congress, one would be surprised to learn that the representative is a political neophyte. Although a latecomer to the game, Congressman Go’s age and background, coupled with his relative political inexperience, have become his advantage. He embodies both the wisdom gained from teaching at the University of the Philippines (UP) Baguio, working at Texas Instruments, and being an entrepreneur, and the fervor of an idealistic fellow desiring to make a change. LOVE FOR BAGUIO Congressman Go would only call Baguio his home shortly after his university graduation in 1975, after a life-changing encounter with the city during his days as a student from UP Manila in the 1970s. “I was not born in Baguio,” he says. “I cross-enrolled in UP Baguio one summer.” The beauty of the place had an impact on the young Go. “When you come up to Baguio at that time, you can already smell the pine scent of the city from Kennon Road. When you go to City Hall, you can see the fog going down Abanao Street. That attracted me much… I fell in love with the place. I said ‘I am coming back.’ That’s exactly what I did in 1975. And the rest is history. For 44 years now, I’ve made Baguio my residence.” Baguio’s pristine sights and environment convinced Go to relocate to the northern city. However, Go has witnessed the city shift through the years from an urban dweller’s paradise to a crowded, overdeveloped metropolis. “We have issues in the city. We have problems on garbage, traffic, and other related matters,” Go observes. “So many occupied places that should not be. Having witnessed all these changes, I feel that I have an obligation to our city.” This obligation entails efforts to restore Baguio City to its once famed pristine glory. Going beyond mere cleanup drives that only scratch the surface and provide band-aid solutions, the hardworking congressman has authored bills such as House Bill 1341 declaring Burnham Park as a National Heritage Park, and House Bill 1342 regarding the full rehabilitation and maintenance of Kennon Road. These are alongside his ten-point agenda that focuses on key areas that include scholarships, reducing unemployment, environmental protection, compensation for barangay officials, restoration of heritage parks, and road improvement. HARD AT WORK Since his first term as congressman, Go has authored and co-authored 160 bills, landing important pieces of legislation that benefit both his constituents in Baguio City, as well as citizens in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and the rest of the country. As Baguio City representative, Go seeks to address the concerns of the city. For instance, the growing population and urbanization in Baguio has led to challenges in providing adequate health care. To meet the demand, Go proposed House Bill 6619 providing for the expansion and improvement of Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC). He is proud to report that the said bill, and its counterpart Senate Bill 1736 authored by Senator JV Ejercito, was signed into law by President Duterte on October 3, 2018. Republic Act 11084 provides for the increase of BGHMC’s bed capacity from 500 to 800. It was also Congressman Go who spearheaded the 2017 inquiry on and eventual rollback of overinflated fuel prices in Baguio City through House Resolution 853. In spite of the small victory, the representative advocated for reasonable and transparent fuel prices through House Bill 5172, which seeks to amend the Oil Deregulation Act (RA 8479) by granting more powers to the Department of Energy (DOE) to monitor the fuel pump prices and to set a price ceiling and maximum rate of increase in petroleum product prices. His legislative pieces were not confined to the betterment of Baguio City alone. Go was also a proponent of the pension increase for senior citizen Social Security System (SSS) members, filing House Bill 1853, which was later substituted with House Joint Resolution 10 that saw the approval of the Php2000-peso increase in the monthly pension of some 2.2 million SSS retirees. Staying true to his advocacy of making higher education accessible to all, Congressman Go has also authored and co-authored landmark legislative acts such as the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act or Republic Act 10931, which grants free tuition to students in state universities and colleges, as well as technical-vocational institutions (TVIs) around the country. Go also authored Republic Act 11192 establishing the Cordillera State Institute of Technical Education (CSITE), integrating the Cordillera Region’s TESDA training centers and supervised TVIs to train the region’s youths to become globally competitive. One of the bills that he is known for is the Compressed Work Week Bill that offers a four-day workweek with longer hours per day, to allow employees lesser days at the office, less time traveling to and from work, and more rest days. “What I would like to address here is the work-life balance of employees in the whole country,” Go explains. “Employees work six days a week. In most cases, they don’t have time for their loved ones. The bill will give them more time for their families and other things they would also like to do. After all, we work for our families.” Go’s bill and its counterpart Senate bill were approved by the respective chambers, but their conflicting provisions were not ironed out. “We didn’t agree at the pre-bicameral,” Go says. “So I will re-file it and hope that it will be approved this 18th Congress.” ENTREPRENEURIAL REVOLUTION Another bill that Go is committed to seeing enacted into law covers the establishment of the Philippine Entrepreneurs Academy, a school that will focus exclusively on the formation of entrepreneurs who will create new products and services and set up their own companies. The plan seeks to answer the problem of unemployment while teaching people to be more inventive. What Go would like is to start an “entrepreneurial revolution” wherein people would prefer to be self-employed. He elaborates, “Right now, if you ask a Filipino student, ‘Why are you going to school?’ Most likely he will answer, ‘Because I want to finish my studies and get a good job.’ But employment is not the only option. “There are some people who have the potential to be entrepreneurs but they are not able to develop these potentials due to lack of opportunities. So if we create this academy that will develop entrepreneurial skills and competencies, these people will have a chance. The Philippine Entrepreneurs Academy will teach people to be creative and innovative, train them to be employers rather than employees. Entrepreneurship is what developed Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.” Go envisions the Philippine Entrepreneurs Academy not only as a testing center for retail items like food or consumer goods, but also as a lab for the creation of technology-based products like mobile phone apps. Transactions that were considered complex years ago could now be done on a palm-sized gadget or through a few clicks on the cellphone. Go says, “When I was working for Texas Instruments in Baguio in the 1980s, our computer room was twice the size of my office here. At that time, we were using IBM 370. Now, everything is here, on an S9, S8 cellphone. This is what we want to develop.” MR. 100 PERCENT Whether it’s a will to serve, legislation for the people, or technology for a better life, there is no stopping Congressman Mark Go from pursuing his dreams for the people of Baguio and the rest of the Philippines. The people who have voted for him can rest assured that Go strives to be conscientious with his work. He says, “If you will look at my first term, you will see that I did not miss any session in Congress. I had one hundred percent attendance.” This is the kind of diligence that he wishes to maintain throughout his political career and beyond. With Congressman Mark Go, what you see—his professional record, public demeanor, legislative career—is what you get. Asked what his guiding principle is, Go sums it up with the word “integrity.” He declares, “I will never compromise my integrity for anything else. Your public life should reflect who you are as a person. You need to be honest. Make sure you don’t engage in corruption. You don’t take advantage of people. Who you are as a person is expressed through your public life.”

< Back The Great Leap Makati City First District Councilor Jhong Hilario on rising to the challenges of public service, training under the strict guidance of Mayor Abby Binay, and following his father’s shining legacy. BY EDWIN P. GALVEZ PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROMEO PERALTA, JR. Give it your best flip, jump high up in the air, and successfully soar through it. This is what Virgilio “Jhong” Hilario, Jr. keeps in mind every time a new door of opportunity opens for him, whether in the field of entertainment or public service. Well, not quite literally though. But Hilario, a 43-year-old second-term councilor of Makati City’s First District, has indeed proven his mettle in the political arena, just as he has in the entertainment scene. He describes his young self as a batang kalye, one raised in the bustling streets of Barangay Bangkal. He did not pursue college but instead performed the death-defying acrobatic stunts of the dance group Streetboys even when he hardly knew how to sway to the beat. In time, he perfected his moves and took on the challenges of a number of accidental but lifechanging opportunities that came his way. Like dancing, he says, “Lahat talaga pwedeng matutunan kung gagawin mo ‘yung best mo. (You could learn how to do just about anything as long as you give your best.)” Hilario garnered acclaim for his stirring performances in film and television, even snagging a major acting honor; brought steady laughs to madlang pipol (the masses) on a daily noontime show; and bannered the globally competitive Filipino talent in a string of international films and with a popular musical theater production in the United Kingdom. BEYOND ENTERTAINMENT Beyond entertaining the public as Philippine television’s “Sample King,” Hilario decided to serve the people of Makati. He topped the councilor’s race in his district in 2016, a feat he repeated in this year’s local elections. “Never ako nag-dream na maging isang konsehal ng Makati o maging isang public servant— dinala ‘ko rito eh (I never dreamt of being a Makati councilor or public servant—fate brought me here),” he says. Click here to read full article for free

< Back CALISTA RELEASES “UGNAYAN” Calista is making waves once again this year with the release of their first Tagalog single, “Ugnayan” a moving dance track about the struggles of long-distance relationships. MERLION PRODUCTION INC. The six-member girl group is confident that their fans will adore this song because it is very Filipino, danceable, contains numerous beats, and has an OPM-inspired vibe. Anne, Olive, Laiza, Denise, Elle, and Dain are confident that this latest single will be a success due to its distinctive beat and tagalog vocals. According to the group, their music is not typical. “Ugnayan” differs from their previous singles, “Race Car” and “Don’t Have Time,” because of its powerful message butits catchy rhythm and fresh beats still make it appealing to youthful listeners. Although “Ugnayan” is a love song about an LDR (long-distance relationship), according to Olive, this does not only apply to couples but also to families with OFW parents. The song asserts that connecting with one another is never a problem because technology connects people. “Distance should never be a problem because technology will connect you to each other, and even if you’re not connected by technology, your hearts are still connected,” explains Olive. Dain agrees that “Ugnayan” is about a deeper connection. She says, “Even if you can’t see your loved ones, you can still imagine seeing them in every corner, because your connection is not just through technology or the internet, but through the heart.” The group spent four to five months preparing for the song and only half a day recording it. They would also like to relate the song to the group’s bond and sense of camaraderie. The one year they have been together, according to Olive, is enough for them to know each other very well. “Our relationship has grown to the point where we understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and we know how to highlight them for the group’s benefit.” Anne jokes, “With how close we are, it would seem that we are interconnected all the way to our insides, as Elle and I would sing and speak in unison.” They disclosed to the LEAGUE that they help one another not just with their performances during practices but also with their school assignments. They would also like their fans to know that “Ugnayan” is Calista’s message to them. According to Denise, they are close with their fans. “We respond to them frequently, and due to our busy schedule, we sometimes respond at odd hours.” Elle asserts that one of their priorities is to strengthen their relationships with their fans. “We regularly interact with them, either in person or through social media.” Anne believes that their fans are also like their friends or siblings that they want to build stronger bonds with because “They are the core foundation of our success.” But they know that their connections with their fans are sometimes limited because of their busy schedules which often clash with those of their fans. Calista is ecstatic and optimistic that “Ugnayan” will be a success. They are excited to see how their fans respond to their newest single. “I think our fans will respond positively to our newest song because it sends the right message that love is the best thing that connects everyone,” Laiza says. “Ugnayan,” which means connection, was composed by Telly Tanan, while the rap part was composed by Dean Villareal of the P-Pop boy band Eclipse. The song was arranged by Marcus Davis, who also helped create their previous singles. This was produced by Merlion Entertainment, with Arnie Mendaros and Annie Quintos as vocal coaches. Race Car was the debut single by Calista and their subsequent release was “Don’t Have Time.” At the seventh annual PPOP Awards, one of their two Christmas singles, “Christmas Rush,” was named Best P-Pop Song of the Year for the 2022 Christmas Theme. “Christmas in the Philippines” is their second Christmas single. Merlion Entertainment manages Calista, whose songs are produced by Merlion Music, which was named “Pop Music Production Company of the Year” during the seventh PPop Awards. Visit their website at www.calistasocials.com and follow them on all their official social media accounts: Facebook : CALISTA PH, Twitter: @CALISTASOCIALS, and Tiktok/Instagram : @CALISTAMUSICOFFICIAL