Guagua mayorship beckons to BM Anthony Joseph Torres. Photo by Bong Lacson
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Another “graduating” member of the Pampanga sangguniang panlalawigan has laid bare his political plan for 2022 – to contest the mayorship of his town.
Three term 2nd District board member Anthony Joseph Torres recently confirmed to media his plan to run for mayor of Guagua under the banner of Kambilan, the ruling party in Pampanga headed by Gov. Dennis “Delta” Pineda.
Torres said he is banking on his nine-year performance in the provincial board, where he currently chairs the committees on education, trade and industry, and cooperative development, to convince his townmates of his capability to serve them as mayor.
A graduate of the University of Santo Tomas with a degree in industrial engineering, Torres his platform will be “grounded on both the needs and potentials for development” of Guagua.
“Guagua has still a vast potential in agricultural and industrial development which, properly tapped and managed, will redound to greater prosperity of the town and its contiguous communities,” Torres said, noting that the town remains the hub of commerce in the second district of Pampanga.
Offhand, Torres said that a specific program in the agriculture sector is the establishment of post-harvest facilities and capacitating farmers to gain easy access to credit and other government support like technology and machineries to ensure better yield of agricultural produce.
He said this will be similar to his project in-progress of setting a gas station cooperative for local jeepney drivers and tricycle operators.
The private sector will also play a major role in the development of Guagua in a Torres mayorship, he said. “We have a number of private citizens and groups all too willing to share their resources, their time, their know-how, for the development of the town.”
Partnership among all stakeholders in the prosperity of Guagua, Torres noted, led to the crafting of his campaign slogan: “Tulong-Tulong Tayo.”
Torres is the second term-ending board member to announce his 2020 candidacy. Last week, 3rd District board member Rosve Henson declared his intention to run for mayor of the City of San Fernando.
