Mayor Donya Tesoro of San Manuel, Tarlac | The Political Conversations with The Mayors • Part 1 -------------------------------------------------------------- Teodoro of Marikina City November 17 | FRIDAY | 8 PM Maligaya-Bautista of Magallanes, Cavite November 24 | FRIDAY | 8 PM Benitez of Bacolod City December 1 | FRIDAY | 8 PM Agda of Borongan City, Eastern Samar December 8 | FRIDAY | 8 PM Cayetano of Taguig City December 15 | FRIDAY | 8 PM Exclusive on The Boy Abunda Talk Channel on YouTube

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Hi people of the Philippines and people of the world.

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Kaibigan, tuloy ang usap.

We can bring the good if not the bad.

Why are you smiling?

Why are you smiling?

Why are you smiling?

The Political Conversations with the Mayors

Part 1

Donya, maraming salamat at nagkita tayo muli.

Maraming salamat, Tito, for having me again.

I know, and my deepest condolences on the passing of your dad.

Hindi tayo nakapagkita, but I continue to pray.

Thank you, Tito.

Kumusta ang buhay na wala ang daddy?

It was a really huge adjustment for me and the family.

And considering na ako na yung head ng family ngayon,

because ako yung next in line sa kanya,

I really had to step up.

And lagi ko ang sinasabi,

I'm already a forced adult nung pumasok ko ng politika.

Lalo na nung namatay yung aking father.

I'm really forced to take up responsibilities na

I didn't think na I would be making yung mga decision-making na malalaki.

He was your political mentor.

Yes.

What do you miss most about him?

Yung pagiging strict niya.

He wants everything to be done on time.

And he wants everything to be done the proper way, the best way.

When you look back, nararamdaman mo ba na somehow inihanda ka ng dad

para sa kinaruroonan mo ngayon bilang mayor ng San Manuel?

Sobra, Tito.

Ever since I started working for him, I believe talagang pinrepare niya ako.

Alam mo, Tito, kwento ko nga eh.

Nung time na namatay siya,

everyone, lahat, mommy ko, my siblings, lahat sila nasa hospital.

Ako lang yung naiwan sa bahay.

And then, syempre, lahat sila, parang, di nila alam yung gagawin.

Lahat in shock eh.

So, kung walang gagalaw, walang mangyayari.

So, naisip ko, talagang pinrepare ako sa daddy ko sa mga ganitong pagkakataon.

Kailangan, I have to be at my strongest.

Doon ko na-realize na, eto yung training na binigyan niya sa akin.

Kahit anong pagsubok talaga, dapat alam ko how to handle and think fast.

At nangyari ito.

In the middle of pandemic.

Yes, yes.

How was your management of San Manuel during the pandemic?

The best way to manage anything talaga is to listen eh, to your people.

So, syempre, what I did, syempre, makinig ako ano kailangan ng mga tao.

And during the pandemic, what they needed are the basic ones.

Syempre, food, di ba, yung delivery ng mga supplies.

And yung pagiging alert ng health facilities namin.

Very cooperative lahat ng department heads namin.

And magagaling actually yung mga tao sa paligid ko.

That's actually the key.

O, katulad ka rin ba namin na, ako kasi, nung nag-umpisa, parang, nalilang to.

O, tapos nung medyo nagtagal, nag-umpisa na akong matakot.

People were collapsing everywhere.

Na parang, what is happening?

Bilang isang leader ng isang bayan, ano yung iniisip mo during that time?

I think, Tito, pagbabae ka din, meron kang ganong motherly instinct.

Meron.

Di ba, yung talagang iisipin mo talaga yung kapakanan ng lahat.

So, for me nun, syempre, like a mom, like ang babae, di ba, for us, prevention talaga is better than cure.

So, yung iba siguro iniisip nila nga, saglit lang yan or it won't be that bad.

So, kaya hindi sila agad nakapag-prepare.

Pero ako kasi, nandyan naman ang pondo eh.

We can do something about it.

Napapag-usapan lamang natin ang pandemic, Doña, dahil kayo, you're the pandemic mayors.

It was a test of leadership.

It was a test of character.

Kasi sa kasaysayan ng sangkatauhan, people will go back to this particular era.

Now, what did people do in COVID-19?

Marami, maraming kwento ang lalabas.

Marami yung sinabi mo, resilience, yung character, yung behavior ng tao, yung instinct natin to survive.

Tapos, what?

What kind of leaders did we actually produce during the pandemic?

Ako doon, Tito, kailangan kalmado lang ako.

Kailangan kalma?

Kailangan kalmado ko lang.

Kasi kung magpapanik ako, ganoon din yung mga tao eh.

Kahit marami na kaming cases noon, I stayed calm, updated the people.

Every day, every single time na may mga cases, I updated them.

Via your social media?

Yes, oo. Para careful din sila. And of course, sa barangay din.

Pero doon mo makikita, Tito, talaga na ang daming mga ganoon pangyayari na...

Kawawa yung mga tao, you know, because the fear na they might get it, di ba?

Oo.

Ganon pala ang pag-iisip ng tao pagka ganoon sila katakot.

But having a leader na kalmado will help talaga.

Nagkaroon ng eleksyon during the pandemic.

Yes.

Kumusta yun? Nakaikot? Paano ang nangyari? Anong natutunan mo during that election?

Actually, we expected the last election to be very different from past elections.

Alam naman natin, pag-eleksyon talaga sa Pilipinas, parang fiesta, di ba?

Lahat ng tao, nagsasama-sama. It was pretty much the same.

But you couldn't do rallies?

Yeah, walang handshake. Mayroon kaming mga meetings.

Mga small gatherings?

Yes, oo. Pero wala yung mga before na. But it still happened, di ba?

Dito, last election, ganun pa rin eh. Ang dami pa rin tao.

Kung sa bagay, oo. Kasi medyo patapos na rin ng konti.

There were big rallies already.

Masaya dito kasi always pag bumababa ka, tapos nakikita ka ng mga tao.

I mean, there's a way.

I was so excited to see you. Especially before that, nag-pandemic eh.

So everyone was just so excited to see each other, lalo na yung mga senior citizens.

Yakap-yakap kami.

Donia, malaking tulong ba na maganda ka, na mukha kang artista?

Mabait ako. Mukha ko mabait dito.

Paano kung maganda ka pero mukha kang bataray?

Iba yun natin.

Iba?

Iba yun, dito.

Tama ka.

Pero ako, nakilala na nila ako. Bata pa lang ako.

Kasama ko na rin yung mga magsasaka. I bond with them.

So hindi ka bago sa kanila?

Hindi na talaga, dito. I may look like this, pero pag nandun ako sa barangay, mga pare yung mga yan.

So sanay sila sa ganda ni Donia?

Oo, pero talagang ano.

Magandang mabait. Ngayon ko natutunan yan.

Yes, yes, yes. Oo.

Donia, noong ika'y naging mayor, even when you were vice mayor, inisyuhan ba kayo ng, kayo'y dinastiya or you were starting to build a dynasty, a political dynasty?

Was that an issue raised against you?

Dito, it will only be raised.

To certain politicians. Nakikita ng mga tao who doesn't deliver.

Sa amin, I don't know kung meron ganyan. Bibihira ako na rin. Actually, pag may nagko-comment na ganyan sa Facebook, kapag titignan namin, hindi siya taga San Manuel eh.

Pero mga taga San Manuel, they've accepted it because performing silang mag-ama eh.

Wala ka talaga masasabi with the performance, yung sipag, yung time, the dedication is there.

So, you really can't use that.

So, you really can't use that.

So, you really can't use that.

So, you really can't use that against us.

What is your biggest achievement, ikaw, as a mayor, sa San Manuel?

Yung biggest achievement ko, tito, right now, siguro, yung unity.

Because during my dad's time, medyo ang daming factions eh. Malaki pa yung divisiveness.

Politically?

Apo. Kung baga na, control na yung political situation sa San Manuel.

So, if you were to describe your leadership today, Doña, paano mo ihahambing ang sarili mo sa iyong political mentor, who happens to be your father?

So, if you were to describe your leadership today, Doña, paano mo ihahambing ang sarili mo sa iyong political mentor, who happens to be your father?

So, if you were to describe your leadership today, Doña, paano mo ihahambing ang sarili mo sa iyong political mentor, who happens to be your father?

Nakuha ko kasi lahat sa kanya, tito eh. The passion, the hard work, yung dedication. Nakuha ko lahat yan, yung strength ko.

Pero yung pagiging calm ko, yung pagiging listener ko, yung pagiging peacemaker ko.

Maternal, nurturing, sabi mo nga kanina.

Maternal, nurturing, sabi mo nga kanina.

So, yun ang pagkakaiba namin. Nagagamit ko yung feminine energy ko in a way na hindi sila natatakot.

So, yun ang pagkakaiba namin. Nagagamit ko yung feminine energy ko in a way na hindi sila natatakot.

Because you may hurt them. Pero natatakot sila. Kasi baka mawalay tiwanan sa amin.

And also because, sabi mo nga, nagbago na rin yung electoral landscape.

Na kung noon nag-work yung takot, ngayon with, for example, social media, which I'd like to talk to you about later,

medyo naiba na rin ang dynamics ng leaders and their followers.

Sa karanasan mo, di ba?

Sa karanasan mo, di ba?

I think that in the world of Valdonia, in local politics,

iyong relasyon, it's expected of politicians to come to the rescue of the constituents.

Mayor, wala kaming ano?

Wala kami pang maisaing?

Lahat. How do you handle that?

Dito na, sanay na ako eh. At an early age, nakikita ko yung father ko.

Umaga pa lang, may mga tao na sa labas. People need you.

Ikaw yung nakikita nila, ng pag-asa nila.

nila. Napag-asa nila.

Do you set aside a budget for that?

Meron talaga. Diba? Yung bigas.

Meron talaga. Yung immediate needs

talaga. Outside of

the official

job of your government.

Diba? Pero saan ka

bumabalansi na hindi sila

masanay doon sa

dole-out mentality?

Diyan po hapasok dito na kailangan. Marami kang

programs talaga that promote

sustainability. Self-employment,

mga negosyo packages,

skills and livelihood

trainings.

Kaya talaga nakasandala mga tao sa gobyerno

and you have to give them

ganong mga opportunities to learn.

Hindi lang laging

hingi or grant from the government.

Okay. Ngayon that you are

on your second term,

how much does reputation

come into play

to you as

leader of your town?

It's still everything, Tito. It is.

Nagbabago lang naman ang

politika.

Kapag eleksyon eh. Pero all

throughout, it really is about

reputation. Kung ano yung ginawa mo

the past three years, itong

term mo. Kung meron ka man ginawang

kalakuan, babalik yan sa'yo.

That's why I always tell them, guard

your reputation with your life.

Let's talk about social media.

Ibahagi mo nga sa amin yung karanasan na yan

using social media

as a form of communication

tool with

your constituents. Ako, Tito,

naniniwala kasi ako na I'm one of

the firsts na nag-utilize

ng Facebook

posting what I do at work.

Ganyan.

Noong una iniisip nila, bakit lagi niyang

pinopost yung mga ginagawa niya?

Nagyayabang ba siya? But for me, it's

transparency kasi it's for the people to

know na gumagalaw siya.

She's doing something. Diba?

And over time,

we realized that it works.

Kasi nakikita

ng mga tao how active you are.

And

um,

nakikita mo rin yung

engagement ng mga tao kung

satisfied sila sa performance mo.

And if meron man negative dyan mag-comment,

I will take it constructively.

It's really nice na

you are able to gauge your performance

through social media. Kasi kung lahat yung

positive, eti good. Kung may negative,

eti, oh, baka may kailangan tayo

i-correct sa atin. Diba?

Kaya nagagamit namin ito

as a tool to

measure our performance.

Tama. Ano yung vision?

Mo at ng dad mo

for San Manuel?

Siyempre, progressive.

No, but infra ba ito?

Agricultural kayo eh.

Progressive. Agricultural but

also industrial.

Right.

In a sense na,

we want to be the logistics hub

of the North.

Ano? Ipaliwanag mo nga yan?

Logistics hub of the North.

Kasi napapaligiran kayo ng mayayaman

at hindi masyado mayayaman

ng mga bayan. Diba?

Pag titignan mo kasi sa mapa dito,

San Manuel talaga.

Nasa Central Luzon kami.

Kasi nasa gitna talaga kami.

And kami yung may pinaka,

kami yung pinaka malapit

sa T-Plex.

Okay.

Kung baga,

both ends ng San Manuel

may exit ng

going to Baguio,

going to Manila.

So, it's very strategic.

Kaya nga,

nasa amin si Nestle,

Philippines eh.

So, we distribute up to

the northernmost

part of Luzon.

Geographically,

maganda yung location,

yung type of land.

Yung secure peace and order

namin, maganda.

Aho.

Pagka business friendly namin,

talagang sobrang friendly namin.

And then,

ang ganda ng,

accessibility yung kalsada.

So, ang strategy na namin

is to industrialize talaga.

Pag-usapan natin,

yung wealth gap

na pinag-uusapan parate

na ang daming sobrang yaman,

ang daming mahihirap.

Bilang mayor ng isang bayan,

what is your take on it?

Siyempre, at the end of the day,

we want to do something about it.

Oo, to close that gap, di ba?

Oo, and, you know,

pag nagbasa ka ng,

yung history ng ibang bansa,

like, for example,

Singapore,

maiingit ka,

because yung naging strategy nila

was housing,

di ba, trabaho,

ah,

ang dami pang kailangan gawin.

Ang normal na Pilipino ngayon,

walang bahay, di ba?

Ah, walang stable job.

Nakakaranas ng gutom.

Nakakaranas ng gutom.

Napakaraming tao.

Nag,

susumusweldo lang ng basic minimum

per day, di ba?

So, talagang,

how do you solve that dito, di ba?

Education talaga dito.

Education in the Philippines.

I agree.

That's why in San Manuel,

we're building a few

projects,

key projects this term,

na nakatoon sa education talaga.

For example,

ICT.

So,

we're building an ICT school,

na, ICT high school, na

first in the province,

and possibly one of the first in the Philippines.

And then,

first in Tarlac,

kami ang merong municipally operated na

TESDA facility.

Meron si,

meron ang province,

pero first municipality kami

to build mga classes.

Hospital.

During the pandemic dito,

nakita namin yung importance ng pagiging handa,

lalo na sa health.

So,

nag,

ah,

nag-realign kami ng pondo.

No?

Locally funded po ito.

Community health care center,

you know,

for,

for a municipality this small.

Meron,

kumpleto kami sa basic services dito.

Yun ang sinasabi ko,

ah, na ang mga mayors, mga leaders,

na nakaranas ng pandemic,

iba ang pananaw.

Oo.

Ah,

years from now,

decades from now,

in retrospect,

we will look at the pandemic

as,

as,

ah,

a very important political,

ah,

era of,

ah,

the world.

Because doon natin nalaman na kailangan

itong mga services ito

remain to be basic.

Napilitan tayo magbago dito eh.

Oo.

According sa time.

Tama.

According sa pangangailangan ng mundo ngayon.

Hmm.

It was an opportunity to learn and grow.

Tama.

Na,

dati nagpo-focus ang mga LGU sa basketball.

Diba?

Nagbibuild ng courts.

Pero, yun pala, kailangan natin,

more hospitals talaga.

Kalusugan.

More schools.

Dalawa ng babae ang naging presidente ng Pilipinas.

Ah,

President Aquino and President Arroyo.

Yes.

You are a young mayor of a town,

of Tarlac,

in this country.

Alam ko sasabihin mo,

pag tinanong kita,

Doña,

nangangarap ka bang maging presidente ng Pilipinas?

You'd probably say,

Tito naman,

dito muna ako.

And I understand that.

Pero may mga pagkakataon na

we earlier talked about

respecting our destiny.

Nailagay ka sa pagkakataon

that,

you know,

nasa kamay mo ang liderato ng bansa.

Is that something that you will go for?

Or is that something that

you will walk away from?

Siguro, Tito,

as long as meron akong kayang gawin,

ibibigay ko.

One day at a time?

Hanggang kaya kong i-offer yung sarili ko.

Hanggang meron akong kayang gawin para sa ibang tao.

Last question, Doña.

You believe in heaven.

I do.

How do you get there?

As a mayor,

as a person,

as a politician,

as a public servant,

how do you get to heaven?

I just try to be the best version of myself.

The kindest,

the nicest,

and the most compassionate for other people.

Habang nandito pa ako sa mundo.

Take care of your reputation.

Thank you, Tito.

Maraming salamat.

Thank you.

Thank you, Tito.

Presented by

The Philippine Women's University

and

The Philippine Star

with

JC Organic Barley,

Choi Boss,

and

Boy So of La Carmela de Boracay