THE recent May 9 local election for mayor, vice mayor and municipal councilors in the Municipality of Magalang turned out to be an interesting guessing game among Magalenos exchanging views and opinion centered on the question as to who among the aspiring candidates will make it in the last election, especially in the fight for mayorship.
During the heat of the campaign period, candidates had their own varying political strategies to promote their candidacies purposely to gain the precious support of the electorate. In the case of the defeated mayor Romy F. Pecson, together with his cohorts sponsored a situational survey to feel the pulse of the Magalang electorate.
Surprisingly a resulting survey spread in the whole town stating that the defeated mayor wa very much in the lead. The survey had it 60% for Mr. Pecson and 40% for Mayor-Elect Malu Paras Lacson. This was published in the local newspaper. The tactic or maneuvering engineered by Mayor Pecson's supporters had a psychological effect designed to condition the minors of the Magalang voters.
When news of the kind reached Mayor Malu, she was never bothered, instead she took it as a wake up call to enhance and double her efforts in the remaining days of the campaign and more so, she was very much complacent that Magalenos will rally behind her candidacy because of her insurmountable accomplishment that she had put in place during her three years of administration as mayor from 2016-2019.
Just to mention few of her achievements, was during the pandemic crisis, although she was not the sitting local chief executive. She was able to prevent the spread of Covid-19 through sustainable vaccinations among Magalenos. Businesses had improved a lot resulting to the attainable growth of the town economy. This is the very reason why businessmen pay their taxes due to the local government promptly and religiously.
Another spectacular project that she had attained was the development of the usually ugly and devastated town plaza into a beautiful and awesome site where people of Magalang, young and old, enjoy jogging, walking and dancing early in the morning and during night time. The venue is also appropriate for educational, social, political and religious activities.
Now that you have been bestowed with a clear and remarkable mandate from Magalang electorates through a landslide victory, it is incumbent upon you to face the responsibilities expected of you by your constituents. As an unsolicited advice, allow me to share with you a simple but significant suggestion: display a leadership by example, introduce a new brand of good governance and advocacies better than your predecessor.
In so doing, I am almost sure that your administration which your about to assume come July 15 will not go wrong and certainly Magalenos will be glad and welcome it with utmost appreciation.
I wish you luck and Godspeed.
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(The author is former three term mayor of Magalang, Pampanga)