• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
With incumbent Mayor Neil Lizares now on his final term as mayor of Talisay City, Negros Occidental, his wife, Atty. Rowena “Weng Lopez Lizares, yesterday filed her Certificate of Candidacy for the mayoral position, in tandem with incumbent Vice Mayor Nicolai Jalandoni, for next year’s elections.
Lizares said her decision to run for mayor of Talisay City, is not simply about continuing the legacy of her husband, but building on the foundation that had been laid, while bringing her own vision and fresh perspectives of creating a city that is more inclusive, progressive, innovative and resilient.
Abang Lingkod partylist Rep. Stephen Paduano led the sectors and organizations in Talisay City who expressed their full support to her candidacy and of Jalandoni, as well as their slate for councilors, majority of which are seeking reelection.
Aiming to be the first woman mayor of Talisay City, under the Partido Kusog Talisaynons, Lizares said she is running because she believes that the city deserves a leader who understands the strengths and challenges it faces, and a leader who listens to people, and is ready to take bold steps in creating lasting solutions that uplift every family in the city.
The Lizares couple recently took their oaths as members of Lakas-CMD, while Jalandoni and five councilors are members of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, a political party of Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
The Lizares-Jalandoni tandem will be challenged by former Vice Mayor Samuel Siote and incumbent Councilor Gab Villacin, who are vying for the Talisay City mayor and vice mayoral positions, respectively.
Lizares said her platform will focus on inclusive development to ensure that every residents, regardless of background, benefits from the city growth, strengthening social services by expanding healthcare, education and social safety nets to ensure that no one left behind, economic opportunities by supporting small businesses, attracting new investments and creating jobs that provide sustainable livelihoods to the Talisaynons, and transparent governance by ensuring the government operations are open, transparent and accountable to the people.*
