BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Three city mayors of Negros Occidental who failed to be reelected on their third and final terms as local chief executives, officially signed off yesterday.
Highly urbanized Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia, Silay City Mark Andrew Golez and Kabankalan City Mayor Pedro Zayco thanked their supporters for supporting their respective administrations in the past six years.
Former Negros Occidental 3rd District Representative Alfredo “Albee” Benitez will take his oath of office at 4 p.m. today at the New Government Center as the 43rd mayor of Bacolod City.
Army soldier turned politician Benjie Miranda also assumed office as the new mayor of Kabankalan City, at noon yesterday, while former Vice Mayor Joedith Gallego takes over the stewardship of Silay City.
Leonardia stepped down as mayor of Bacolod City, leaving behind about P3 billion in infrastructure projects to his successor, and a legacy that changed Bacolod City, now one of the fastest growing highly urbanized cities in Visayas.
Golez, on the other hand, said he is privileged to have left his “MARK OF EXCELLENCE” legacy in his six years as local chief executive of Silay City.
Over the past couple of years, we have witnessed the significant development and progress in Silay, Golez said.
From the numerous local and national awards received by Silay City, increase in job opportunities, establishment of countless infrastructures, decrease in crime volume and an influx of businesses was made possible because of our common united stand to advocate good governance, he added.
As he ends his term as local chief executive, Golez said “let me set a challenge among us, to the advocates of excellent public service, to work in unity and elevate the caliber of our outputs, assistance, programs, projects, and activities, so that we may not only deliver what is needed of us, but also educate, enlighten, inspire, and shape the future of our younger generation.”
Let this be our pledge, let this be our commitment, and let this be our “MARK OF EXCELLENCE!”, he stressed.
Three days before he ends his six-year term as local chief executive on June 30, city government employees paid tribute to the invaluable contributions of Mayor Pedro Zayco, Jr. to what is Kabankalan City today, by holding a program with a theme “Walang Hangang Pasasalamat.”
Among the notable contributions of the Zayco Administration was the conversion of Kabankalan into a city in 1997, establishing the city as “Economic Hub” of southern Negros, construction of City Hall and domestic airport, 40 kilometers of farm to market roads linking all its barangays, as well as farm tourism roads, in collaboration with the Department of Tourism as well as Department of Public Works and Highways, among others.
Other incumbent officials who were defeated in the May 9 elections include 5th District Rep. Marilou Arroyo, Hinobaan Mayor Ernesto Estrao who lost the town’s vice mayoralty race, and Board Member Ernesto Agustin who failed to capture the mayorship of Himamaylan City.*
