Mr. ENERGY – “Glavys” Gavenia

by: Alex Sanchez

Pagadian City – Mr . Arnold Gavenia, a city councilor of Pagadian City for 6 -consecutive years. Gavenia is modest, friendly and hardworking. He earned his engineering degree as a working student. His stint as an OFW for a few has made him doubly industrious, mentally and physically sturdy and has also broadened his outlook and insight about life.

Gavenia who has earned the “monicker spark plug sa Konseho“due to his advocacy for the economic well-being of motorcab drivers and operators. He is a businessman who is in selling replacement parts of different brands of motorcycle. He also operates one of the best restaurants in the city. He is chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Communication in the City Council for the last six years. His experience of making a living as a motor cab driver when he was very young has enabled him to know the problems of motor cab drivers and provide solution to them, thereby endearing him to this sector of the community.

A-G is the typical person whom everybody would want to be a friend. He is not ambitious but has an intense desire to help improve the business climate in the city to provide employment to the thousands of graduates from various colleges here.

A-G is the IDOL of the masses because he frequently roams around the city and visits its 54 –barangays and had been doing this ever since he was elected from 2007, trying to know the problems of each barangay.

Gavenia is not swell headed and not the type of politician that feels he is the masters of the people and not their servants.

A legacy he will surely leave to the Pagadianons is the scholarship he has granted for under privileged constituents in the 54- barangays.

Ilang-Ilang CO

by: Alex Sanchez

The first lady of Pagadian City Priscilla Ann “Ilang-ilang” Fernandez Co is running for mayor under the Liberal Party.

Doubtlessly a woman of substance, in the 9 years her better half, Mayor Sammy Co excellently governed Pagadian which has jumped from way below the ladder to 5th or 6th spot among the most developed cities in Mindanao, behind the cities, of Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga, Butuan and Cotabato she has tirelessly assisted Co in improving the physical appearance of the city now popularly known as the “beautiful city” in southern Mindanao. 

Among her advocacies is to maintain the beauty and cleanliness of the city, giving it a woman’s touch to attract more tourists and investors as the city embarks a full development of its tourism potential so as to provide jobs and income of the city’s constituency.  She intends to give special attention to the youth to veer them away from prohibited drugs and instead will endeavor to provide them free and affordable college education to enable them to better face the challenges of life. 

As to highly educated mothers, who are tied up at home while nurturing babies or children, to enable them to get self employed by bringing to their homes the opportunity to work at home and earn a living so to help the family’s bread winner.

“Aron mapadayon ang paglambo sa Pagadian ipuli si Ilang2x Co sa pagka mayor sa dakbayan” is the clamor of Pagadianons.

“Idol”Bajamunde

by: Alex Sanchez

Jesus Bajamunde is an incumbent city councilor of Pagadian city who is now running for board member in the first district of Zamboanga del Sur. He is fondly called “Idol” by his supporters because Jesus, his real name, is very friendly to the common –tao of the province, particularly in the city of Pagadian .

Idol who is a 3rd termer as a city councilor has not suffered any defeat in his political career.

Bajamunde is a businessman and a politician. His ways are common and ordinary. He is simple, soft spoken and an unassuming guy that everybody loves to mingle with wherever they meet him.

Idol has never made any promises to his constituents during the three terms he was elected city councilor. But what he has greatly accomplished as city councilor he can even do more as a provincial legislator.

Capotulan’s Legacy – Olutanga

by: Alex Sanchez

Olutanga- Joel Capotulan  the Municipal Mayor of the island whose dictionary does not include the words “surrender” or “give up.” A man of valor, he endeavors to boldly face and surmount all difficulties along the way in his unending efforts to develop his town and improve the lot of his constituents. Mayor Capotulan sets the pace of good governance in the Island Olutanga.

His support of the PNP members down to Barangay Police to minimize delinquencies and reduce crime rate of the town is paying off.

He also implements the 24/7 service in every police substation to ensure safety to the community. A health service is prioritized since he is a doctor by providing free medical consultation and services to people. He frequently doles out financial assistance to indigent and gravely ill patients, particularly the poorest among the poor to enable them to have access to medical services in nationally funded government hospitals in Zamboanga City. Among his ongoing Infrastructure projects is the construction of a municipal building, where the amount allotted for erecting the building’s columns is about 1-million pesos and for the flooring an amount of 2-million pesos has been set aside from the pork barrel of Congressman Boyet Yambao.

Another is the maintenance of the Farm to Market Road (FMR) from barangay Pama to barangay Sta. Maria the amount of 12 M, which is already implemented; Construction of barangay road from Bateria , Calais and Noque had been realized with the amount of 26 Million from the Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP) as Capotulan said .

Still another is the project worth 7 M given to the Women an which has shared by barangay Galas and neighboring barangays.

And for this year 2013, the PAyapa at MAsaganang pamayaNAn (PAMANA) has proposed the rehabilitation of Pulo Mabao road worth      19 M  and  for Pulo Laum . The construction of a water system worth of 3M, connected to various barangays so as to provide potable water to every family in the island.

The dispersal of the working Carabao taken care of by a family has been a big help to farmers in sustaining farming activities. As of today there are 9 live carabao’s handed to deserving families. Happy to note that the cultivation of Agar-agar is underway in Looc Sapi ,Pulo Mabao and Pulo Laum .

Capotulan is overwhelmed with joy with the implementation of these projects and the earmarking of new ones for his municipality. It addresses his ardent desire to develop his town to make it a peaceful and ideal place to live in.

Lastly but not the least, Capotulan’s awareness that a good college education will enable the young generation to be able to land a good  and well-paying jobs in urban centers, here and abroad, the good mayor provides scholarships to deserving students from his town.

Baleleng Fernandez- KINI ANG BALAOD

by: Alex Sanchez

Pagadian City –Atty. Baldomero’’Baleleng’’ Fernandez has devoted the better part of his professional life as a private law practitioner and public prosecutor. He was the  city fiscal of Pagadian City in the 80’s and later Provincial Prosecutor of the undivided Zamboanga del Sur then covering more than 40 towns. 

Throwing his hat in the political arena in 1988 he was elected senior provincial board member also of the undivided Zamboanga del Sur. After resigning as provincial prosecutor in 1998 he returned to his practice of law to replace his wife, Dr. Dicky Fernandez after the latter’s 3 terms expired and was elected in 2004 and 2007 as board member of the 1st district of Zamboanga del Sur. 

Deciding not to complete his 3 terms, “Baleleng”(his popular monicker over the radio) ran for Pagadian City councilor in 2010 and placed 2nd.  He is now seeking a 2nd term as city councilor under the Liberal Party banner. Known for his humility and special affection for the disadvantaged in life, political pundits are heavily betting on his re-election as alderman of Pagadian City.

Some Happy Days

by: Alex Sanchez

Pagadian City - Sammy Co,the city’s hizzoner and chief executive for 9 consecutive years has transformed Pagadian into a booming commercial center, aside from being the regional government center of the Zamboanga peninsula.

An icon of good governance, dedication and hard work, Mayor Co celebrated his 47th natal day last March 10, 2013. As in previous years, Co held separate parties for city hall officials and employees, his political supporters and friends; only 3-day celebration was a little more pompous being his last birthday while in city hall.

To provide entertainment to guests, Gisselle Sanchez, the celebrity comedian was invited to host a program.  She left the audience still laughing to their hearts content after watching her dished out her antics and wares, which have made her famous and one of the top female comedians in the country.

The three day celebration of Mayor Co’s last birthday generated fun and gladness to many of his constituents, friends and political party mates, who attended in hordes and which kept Co beaming during the celebrations.

Co took the opportunity to quip in his short message during the program that he is running for Congressman of the first district of Zamboanga del Sur as official candidate of the Liberal Party of which he is the provincial chairman and if the Almighty God wills it that he will make it to Congress, 100 % he will not be a member of the silent committee but will participate in the debates of Congress, as well as initiate and support legislations beneficial to his district and Pagadian City.

Ms. Sheryl Cruz and Mayor Samuel S. Co Pagadian City - March 19, 2013