Baguio vice mayor-elect eyes role as ‘peacemaker

BAGUIO CITY – Vice mayor-elect and incumbent city councilor Faustino A. Olowan is eyeing a new role as peacemaker among outgoing and new officials of this summer capital.

According to Olowan, one thrust of newly-elected officials is reconciliation among contending executives in formulation of  projects to boost growth and development of the city.

As a peacemaker and a seasoned labor lawyer, Olowan said the local legislative body will support initiatives of newly-elected mayor, retired Police Maj. Gen. Benjamin B. Magalong, for his administration to succeed in addressing issues left behind by the present administration of outgoing mayor Mauricio G. Domogan.

“We have to call for a people’s summit to ascertain priority legislations needed to be enacted by the local legislative body to sustain growth and development of our city. We will first listen to our people, then we will try to look at how the necessary legislation is in support of the priorities of the local chief executive,” Olowan said.

The vice mayor-elect said the executive and legislative branches of the city government will strive to work out their priorities to harmonize actions of both in support of the programs and projects of the next administration to sustain the growth and development of the city as a premier tourist destination in the country.

He expressed his gratitude to all those who supported and voted for him as the next vice mayor of the city saying he will reciprocate the trust and confidence of the people with utmost and dedicated service for the benefit of the greater majority of the populace.

Olowan hurdled the challenge of incumbent Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) and Councilor Michael Lee Lawana, Councilor Peter Fianza, Councilor Elmer Datuin and human rights lawyer Reynaldo Cortes to the city’s vice mayoralty post.

According to him, proposed legislations must come from the people to help in effectively and efficiently addressing issues and concerns that frequently crop up from the ground so that the city will continue to move on to greater heights in the future.

Olowan called on the public for understanding with the upcoming new city administration as problems of the city cannot be addressed overnight as these need extensive planning, implementation and monitoring, as well as evaluation and assessment stages that are part of the bureaucracy.

He urged various sectors in the city to actively participate in future undertakings of the city government, especially in providing inputs on how to effectively and efficiently implement programs, and appropriate interventions that contribute to overall efforts of finding solutions to the city’s prevailing problems.

 The local legislator assured stakeholders that the City Council will continue to work as a collegial body to uphold the interest of the greater majority of the city constituency through the enactment of ordinances and resolutions beneficial to the people of the city whom they are mandated as duly elected members of the council. -- Dexter A. See