(RED OCTOBER. The color of courage that accompanied her from the Metropolitan Cathedral to the Commission on Elections office at the city hall of San Fernando as she filed her certificate of candidacy will hopefully carry Dolores barangay chair Vilma Caluag to the mayorship. Photo by Bong Lacson)
(Caluag holds copy of COC. Photo by Bong Lacson)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Crimson tide inundated the city hall here Thursday as the president of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) here filed her certificate of candidacy (COC) for mayor at the first hour of the first day of the Commission on Election’s designated schedule for COC filing.
With scores of red-shirted supporters, Dolores Barangay Captain Vilma Caluag started her day with a prayer as she and her supporters heard Holy Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral before trooping to the Comelec office located inside the city hall in front of the church.
No less than 25 incumbent barangay captains and 30 former village chiefs accompanied Caluag to the Comelec office. Councilorables Deine Henson, Jack Calimlim and Jay Cuyugan also joined Caluag at the Comelec.
Barangay Sto. Nino chairman Armando Bustamante said he and his barrio mates threw their support to Caluag because of her proven governance in Barangay Dolores as reflected by her mission and vision.
“Masanting pu ing kayang pamanungkulan ketang kayang barangay. Dimdam mi ngan pu keti San Fernando mayap ya pu manungkulan (She practices good governance in her village. We felt it here in San Fernando her brand of good governance),” Bustamante, who is on his third term as village chief, said.
Newly-elected San Isidro chairman Bernardino Bertalaw said he saw and felt for himself the good programs of Caluag. “This is also the sentiment of my constituents as well as my predecessors since I was just elected last year,” he said in the vernacular.
“She wants to spread the programs in her barangay and I saw for myself her style of leadership in her barangay,” he added.
“Alang kalulu mamoblema keng kutkutan,” he declared.
After filing her COC, Caluag said she is now ready to tell Fernandinos of her platform of government with her priorities in health and education. She said she hopes that the elections will be peaceful as she is now prepared to off er herself to the service of Fernandinos.
