THE FEMALE species has entered the scene, taking over the roles once dominated by the “city dads” and transforming them into what one may now call “city moms.” Iloilo City, for one, is now led by a younger lady mayor—the daughter of the previous mayor who delivered remarkable governance in the City of Love. And so, as the coffee brewed, a roundtable of four retirees from different professions found themselves talking about women leadership in cities.
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“Iloilo City governance is now led by a young lady, Raisa Sarabia Treñas, who seems to have trained herself by observing her dad’s management of the city. Perhaps she has gained sufficient insight into how a city of Ilonggos should be run,” the teacher opened the conversation. “Maybe the lady mayor was already prepared when she decided to govern the Ilonggos,” he added.
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“So far she is doing well, and she has been consistent in her role. She has earned the trust of her fellow government workers, who have been visibly supportive during her five months in office. Raisa is a promising leader who appears to have inherited her father’s leadership traits, with political will clearly in the making,” said the retired banker.
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“One important thing is for her to be guided by her father, Jerry. That’s normal for any newcomer in any profession. Of course, her dad is the most competent adviser she can have with his long experience as mayor and congressman. But one thing she must always bear in mind is the need for a circle of professional private-sector minds who can help her shape developmental ideas and short- and long-term visions,” quipped the retired police officer.
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“Iloilo City is lucky to have that huge and sturdy flood control system built after Typhoon Frank years ago. It’s a solid example of foresight—anticipating what could happen in the future. That’s why the city was not seriously affected by the two recent typhoons that hit the country,” the banker pointed out.
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“Down in the Negros Island Region, there’s an old city said to have been ruled for five decades by just one family, or so they claim. South of Bacolod is Bago City, where the Araneta, Javellana, and Torres clans come from. Don’t you know that the president’s wife hails from Bago City? And the clan that owns the ‘Cubao kingdom,’ where the Araneta Coliseum stands, traces its roots there too,” the government worker chimed in.
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“Yes, that’s what I heard,” the teacher continued. “This city of rice and sugar farms had long been dominated by the Torres clan. There were even stories that, before, Chinese businessmen and investors couldn’t easily enter the city to engage in economic activity. But that’s no longer the case today. The Torres family and its circle were eventually unseated by the Javellana clan, whose active lady member surprisingly won as the new city mayor,” the teacher, who hails from that city, said.
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“The young Mayor Mayette Javellana-Yao now sits in the city’s swivel chair, tasked to bring productive and developmental changes to the city where she was born—where the Javellanas, originally from Iloilo, migrated decades ago,” the teacher added. “There is now progress and trust among the residents. They say their lady mayor is sincere about her leadership vision,” she said, sipping her cappuccino. “At least, the residents have finally seen a change in leadership,” she whispered.
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“Speaking of cities, I recently attended the Terra Madre Asia and Pacific in Bacolod City,” the teacher added. “This activity is an international event abroad, brought to the country by the Slow Food Negros group. My two-day experience let me witness thousands of locals patronizing the exhibits and the sale galore. But what surprised me was the announcement that the event expected two thousand international delegates. I didn’t even see a hundred foreigners moving around daily, nor did I see booths showcasing products from international exhibitors.”
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“And by the way, I feel pity for the many Negrenses affected by the two recent typhoons,” the businessman said. “I’d say upland tree-cutting is to blame. Illegal logging? Well, blame it on government agencies issuing permits to cut trees. They say you can’t cut trees even if you planted them yourself—and you still need a permit. But these environmental agencies care only about permit payments; they don’t bother to check whether the cutting of trees harms communities. Oh, this government we have has never been straight,” the businessman said, taking the last sip of his black coffee before saying his goodbyes to the group./PN
