I, ATLEE T. VIRAY, of legal age, married and a resident of St. Jude Village, City of San Fernando, Pampanga, after having been sworn to in accordance with law, depose and state:
1. That we celebrate today the 65th birthday of a visionary leader and a friend beyond measure answering by the name, Edwin “Edsa” Santiago;
2. That up close and personal, I am privileged to be a compadre of the birthday boy – suffice to say – he has two daughters and both of them are my inaanaks;
3. That through my eyes, I saw him grow and blossom as a public official. From a hesitant candidate for councilor immediately after Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. in 1986 was deposed as President to the undefeated graduating mayor of the City when Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. is the elected President of the Philippines in 2022;
4. That as the City Mayor, I joined his unforgettable journey in 2013 as a legal counsel. With you, we saw political will as he fought all the oppositors towards the building of a new public market and the return of the major portions of the Paskuhan Village;
5. That more than the infrastructures that were built, it is the humanity of Edsa that makes him close to our hearts. No chief of office here can say that he was abandoned by the Mayor in the times that his leadership was needed. He fixed the problem in the City Budget. He inspired all departments to be habitats of excellence;
6. That his priority of education for the children speaks of a vision beyond his term. From being a basket case in 2013, our schools are No. 1 in the Central Luzon Region;
7. A great leader is tested by a crisis. When Pandemic Covid 19 strikes, Edsa organized the first Isolation Facility that accommodated as many patients as 250 patients and gave patients hope and deliverance when everything seemed lost;
8. That Edsa committed to preserve our heritage. He fought all attempts to establish POGO outlets and resisted all pressures, including hefty financial gains, to maintain our Christian values;
9. That Edsa set the standards of a City Mayor – every succeeding executive shall be measured against what Edsa accomplished in his 9 years at the City Hall;
10. That everyone here, the chief of offices, have loved and worked with Edsa all the way. We had a rapport even when there were discussions. Edsa valued your work and sense of responsibility that he credits you and me – for the success of his administration. This speaks well of the man – humility. He stayed humble all these years – as we are about to part ways in exactly 10 days from now, we will always cherish the moments that we shared as “members” of the Golden team led by Edwin D. Santiago.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of June 2022 at City of San Fernando, Pampanga.
ATLEE T. VIRAY