Saturday, July 19, 2008 Avisado: Hardworking public servant By Charles Raymond A. Maxey
WHEN Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte took him in as Davao City administrator four years ago, lawyer Wendel Avisado had only one thing in mind -- to help the local chief executive in giving the people the kind of service they deserve from the government.
Avisado is up to the task at hand and seems to be enjoying his work even if this entails a lot of sacrifices. His 55-year-old body is gasping but coping with the rigors of the job, which he learned to love since the very first day he reported for work in June of 2004.
More than a year ago, Avisado was at St. Luke's Medical Center in Quezon City for a quadruple heart bypass, a major operation that was so risky that he admitted leaving his fate that time to the Lord.
"I was never afraid at all. When I woke up I was already at the recovery room," Avisado told Sun.Star in an interview inside his office at City Hall.
"I know that I can still do something more to my fellow human beings," he added, referring to the operation that was so successful he needed only a month's time to fully recover. Soon, he was back at City Hall working again.
According to him, public service is really geared towards providing the people what they deserve from government without ulterior motives or to gain something out of it.
"But this entails a lot of sacrifices, mentally, emotionally, physically and financially, if you may," he said.
True to his conviction, Avisado reports early for work and stays up late from Monday to Friday to hear and attend to the needs of the people. He takes his meals inside his office and never bothers to eat in restaurants.
"You hear all kinds of problems, including family problems. Some present you their electric bills, they ask for medicines and even fares to get back home," Avisado said as he enumerated some of the concerns people raise when they come to City Hall.
When the prices of rice shot up some weeks back, Avisado said Mayor Duterte immediately remedied the problem by providing free rice to the poor.
"Deep inside him he's suffering. He feels for them," Avisado said of Duterte.
It's not hard for Avisado to understand the poor. He was once a jeepney driver and was self-supporting all his life. His determination was his key to success.
Avisado took up his elementary school years in Sta. Ana Elementary School and enrolled and finished his secondary days at the Davao City High School.
After that, Avisado attained his AB degree on Political Science at the Southern Island College in General Santos City then took and finished his law at the Ateneo de Davao University. He took the bar in 1979 and became a lawyer a year later.
Avisado's first taste of public service started when he was legal researcher at the City Court in 1979. He later joined the Philippine National Bank's legal department for six years.
In 1986, Avisado was appointed Southern Mindanao director of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and held the post until 1993. He then joined the JVA Management after that.
At that time, Avisado was also named by Duterte as his consultant. This was during the mayor's second term of his first rule at City Hall.
In 1998, Avisado ran for public office and won as councilor in the city's first district. In 2001 he ran for congress and lost.
Avisado's wife, Adoracion, is known in the legal circle as a defender of women rights and was once a tough judge. The couple has two daughters -- 27-year-old Gemma and 26-year-old Ethel.
With a newly repaired heart and more fervor to serve, Avisado is back again at City Hall armed with the same belief that he is known for.
When Duterte appointed him to the post, Avisado said the mayor's marching orders were for him to carry out his job religiously and with utmost sincerity, and for him to rid City Hall of corruption.
"He does not want me to be involved in shady deals," Avisado says of Duterte, his brother in the Lex Talionis fraternity.
He is not. Avisado even swears that if Mayor Duterte discovers or has any knowledge of him being involved in any corruption, he will immediately tender his resignation.
"I will not wait for the mayor to tell me to resign," Avisado said.
