CSF mayoralty candidate Rosve V. Henson fields questions at the Balitaan forum. Photo by Bong Lacson
CLARK FREEPORT – Three-term Pampanga 3rd District board member Engr. Rosve V. Henson is coming full circle as the future mayor of the City of San Fernando.
A veteran in the political landscape of the province, Henson was first elected as municipal councilor when he was only 21 years old and fresh out of college, Henson ran for mayor twice but lost – in 1992 and 1995.
In 1998, Henson got the highest number of votes in the province as provincial board member and even served as acting vice governor for six months with the suspension of then-Gov. Lito Lapid and Vice Gov. Clayton Olalia by the Ombudsman over what came to be dubbed as the “quarry-scam.”
During the media forum “Balitaan” organized by the Capampangan in Media, Inc. in cooperation with the Clark Development Corp. at the Bale Balita here last Friday, Henson said since he is a true son of San Fernando, he is once again running for mayor in the province’s capital city.
“I started my political career when I was 21 years old as municipal councilor of San Fernando, and now I’m 63 years old, I believe I still have a lot of gas in my tank,” Henson said.
“For more than two thirds of my life, I have been serving the Kapampangan constituency. Having served in the legislative side of government, I have seen good leaders that contributed in alleviating the plight of our constituents as well as the not so good ones,” he continued.
“The turning point in my career was when I ended close second during the 1992 mayoralty elections when I joined the party of Cielo Macapagal-Salgado. Out of six candidates, I only lost less than a thousand votes to the winner,” he narrated.
“Had I ended up far from the rankings, I would have quit politics and pursued a career as a license civil engineer,” he said.
Henson graduated from the University of the Philippines with a degree in civil egineering.
“In politics, I got aligned with the Pinedas and I got exposed to their kind of service. I served with them. I got inspired with their kind of public service,” he declared. “I experienced from the Pinedas that it takes heart to govern the Kapampangans.”
“I believe I have the necessary credentials, exposure and experience to pursue a better kind of local governance in the City of San Fernando,” he added.
“We all know that local governance is evolving. Somebody has to step in, somebody has to step out. In politics, copying is not bad, what I mean is let us continue with the good programs of the previous administrations and discontinue the programs that were not successful,” he said.
On the pandemic
“The future mayor must have pandemic and post-pandemic recovery plans like continuous and mass vaccination,” he said. “Scientists say we will have herd immunity if we vaccinate 70 percent of the population. We allocated separate funds to buy our own stock of vaccines to supplement our stock. We must have our own stock to assure us of our sown future supply. It must be sustained.”
“When Nanay (Vice Gov. Lilia G. Pineda) was governor up to his time of Gov. Deta, we put premium in health services,” he noted. “Gone are the days when our constituents would hesitate going to public hospitals because they don’t have competent medical staff, no medicines. Because they realize then that if they go to public hospitals, they might not get the maximum health care that they need.”
Henson disclosed: “But when Nanay became governor, she asked the sangguniang panlalawigan for additional funds to improve the hospitals. She acquired new medical equipment, supplies and medicines and hired competent medical workers. We signed joint agreements with clinics operating dialysis machines and the like.”
“Now our hospitals are equipped with the proper and modern medical facilities as well as competent doctors and medical health care workers. We have medicines and our constituents are now confident in going to public hospitals,” he concluded.
Education
“On education, even if it’s free, we will continue to have integrated schools in all 35 barangays of the city since 50 percent already have integrated schools,” Henson said. “We will continue to establish campuses of the Don Honorio Ventura State University all over the province for the benefit of our constituents,” he said. “In the City of San Ferando, we are planning to put up a satellite campus in the north.”.
Of the effect of free education, he stressed: “You did not give them money but you improved their purchasing power.” In effect, indicting local candidates known for “trying to purchase the youth vote.”
On floods, infra
“As a civil engineer, we will address the flooding problem in the city which we realized is a complex problem,” he said. “I pity our congressman who is continually looking for funds but it seems that the river channels and creeks have been neglected. They should be given priority as well complemented with local ordinances.”
“As a civil engineer, I know it can be done. Clean and desilt the waterways, stop throwing garbage and it should be done all year round,” he added.
The engineer in Henson went on: They say traffic means progress but I also believe that but if there is chaos in traffic, there is mismanagement.”
“We need not only engineering intervention, upgrade our roads but look for alternative roads, look for alternative routes, interconnect roads, manage traffic and impose discipline and proper education,” he said.
Qualification
“I believe I have the necessary experience and qualifications to serve as mayor of San Fernando,” Henson declared.
“I was exposed to good leaders like the Pinedas who are setting a very good example on the kind of good leadership that has a heart uling ing pamagserbisyu kareng Kapampangan dapat atin kang pusu para gawan mu ita,” he enthused.
