Ladies Rule Albay Cities

LEGAZPI CITY, May 18 -- Call it women power, a coincidence or whatever, but come July 1, when the new sets of local officials that won the May 10 elections assume the stewardship of their respective local government units, the province of Albay will see each of its three cities under the administration of lady chief executives.

Geraldine Barrameda-Rosal will take the reign of Legazpi City from her husband Noel, who occupied the mayoral seat for nine years. Krisel Lagman-Luistro and Linda Gonzalez were reelected city mayors of Tabaco and Ligao, respectively. All three ran under the administration's Lakas-Kampi-NUCD coalition party.

These three Albay cities are situated at the foot of the active, 7,943-foot high Mayon Volcano. Tabaco is at its western foot; Tabaco at the northeastern section and this city at the southeast. Although lying at the high-risk areas during Mt. Mayon eruptions, these cities are considered the centers of development, trade, commerce, education and tourism of the province.

Tabaco is considered the jumping board between the island province of Catanduanes and the Bikol mainland while Ligao caters to the trade and commerce of the third district of the province up to the municipality of Pioduran, the main link between the island of Burias, Masbate and Albay.

Legazpi, now on its 51 years as a city is the government's regional center for Bikol and site of massive industrialization and commercialization with all the big investments like the P900-million Embarcadero de Legazpi, the P300-million Grand Public Transport Terminal and the Ligñon Hill Mayon View Deck.

As a wife to the city mayor, Geraldine or Gie as she is fondly called, 37, is a community worker who strongly advocates women empowerment, good health, proper nutrition, gender development and responsible parenthood. She was cited as 2009's Most Outstanding Community Development Program Chairperson in Southern Luzon for her Gender Equity Program.

She becomes the second lady mayor of the city next to the late Imelda Roces, who died while serving as commissioner of the National Police Commission (Napolcom) several years back. Noel Rosal became mayor in 2001 immediately after Roces completed her nine-year term.

"Whatever my husband and I have started, I will pursue when I assume the city's chief executive's seat," she said Tuesday. She was proclaimed winner in the May 10 elections last May 12 after routing her rival with an over 25,000 vote-margin.

Also proclaimed were her running mate vice-mayor-elect Bitorio "Bitoy" Roces and the would-be 10 members of the city legislative council.

Noel Rosal's nine-year as mayor as a no-nonsense administration as the once sleepy City of Legazpi (now a first class city) suddenly became a booming city with investments pouring in due to his aggressive infrastructure development, massive tourism development and effective peace and order programs.

Luistro, the daughter of Albay first district congressman Edcel Lagman, was reelected into her second term while Mrs. Gonzalez, the wife of former Albay governor and now congressman-elect for the 3rd district Fernando Gonzalez won her third term. Both Tabaco and Ligao were elevated into cities in March 24, 2001.

The first city mayors of Ligao and Tabaco were Fernando Gonzalez (2001-2004) and Alex Burce (2001-2007),. Luistro's uncle, respectively. They were replaced by the two currently reigning lady mayors.

Elsewhere in Albay, three other lady mayors would assume terms on July 1. Agnes Dycoco was reelected as mayor of Libon town, Cherilie Sampal on the mayoral seat for Polangui and Nora Oñate for the island town of Rapu-rapu. (PNA)