There is a saying in the vernacular that goes, “Ang indi makabalikid sa ginhalinan, indi makakadto sa palakadtuan”. We should learn and understand our past, to appreciate the present and prepare well for our future.

Heritage is about legacy, inheritance, tradition and custom. In our history subject, we have discussed the glory of the past including the time Iloilo was colonized as well as it being called the Queen of the South. It has been decades since then but Iloilo’s glorious past can still be seen and remembered through the stories of the heritage structures, buildings and houses that stood the tests of time.

One of the many ordinances I have authored, worked for, and passed in the City Council is the Ordinance adding incentives for houses, buildings and structures that have been declared or to be declared as heritage sites by the Iloilo City Cultural Heritage and Conservation Council (ICCHCC). This all started when Engr. Ramon Hechanova, one of the philanthropists who live in my home barangay MV Hechanova, talked to me in one of the events I went to. He mentioned that he and other people who have long lived in Iloilo City have opted to allow their homes and buildings as tourist attractions as they symbolize the rich culture and past of Iloilo City. The ICCHCC is given the mandate to recommend and to declare heritage sites the City Tourism Office (CTO) is responsible in the tourism promotion of the city. Engr. Hechanova added that he doesn’t live in the house anymore and is responsible for its preservation, reconstruction and maintenance and further asked if the city can possibly help him and others like him in their endeavor of making sure that structures that can be considered or are considered as heritage sites are preserved well. I told him that I will see what I can do. I then requested for a meeting with Dr. Kristin Trenas, the head of the ICCHCC and with the other members as well as the Iloilo City Planning and Development Office together with the City Tourism Office. We talked about what was presently happening, what would be the ideal and what they would suggest we can do about it. I also listened to the concerns of people working in the tourism industry as well as tourists who have visited the city in terms of the need to have more tourist attractions and destinations in the city worth visiting. I then decided to amend the existing ordinance on Heritage sites and to give an additional incentive to the owners of the declared and to be declared heritage sites by the ICCHCC as a form of support by the Iloilo City Government. Furthermore, I also talked to the City Treasurer’s Office, the City Assessor’s Office and the Office of the City Mayor as the ordinance deals with assessment and taxation. The incentive I proposed to be added was a 50% reduction on their annual Basic Real Property Tax on Structure. The amount was not that big to affect the collections, expenses and expected income of the city but it was good enough to support the owners of the structures to preserve, reconstruct and maintain as they usually do not use the structures anymore for residential or business purposes but mainly for heritage. In other cities, the local government units even give monetary support to maintain and preserve their heritage structures but checking with the Local Chief Executive that Iloilo City has a limited budget, we thought of making their basic RPT on structure as incentive instead.

It took about a year and six months before the ordinance was finally approved due to certain reasons but it was worth the work and the wait. I have already met with the stakeholders I initially talked to before I worked on the ordinance and even with the various groups who work on tourism promotion as well as the business groups. In the next weeks to come, I will be meeting with the ICCHCC as well as the owners of the heritage sites. This particular ordinance aims to to preserve heritage, boost our local tourism and further enhance the local economy of the City of Iloilo.

I would like to thank again all the stakeholders including ICCHCC, tourism focused groups, business groups, all the members of the city council (past 2007-2010 and present 2010-2013) for supporting my ordinance, the media, Engr. Hechanova for talking to me about the issue, my staff and the Lord for making this happen. It feels great to see a plan pan out until its final approval and implementation. Each and every ordinance that passes on final reading that I have authored or co-authored gives me a different feeling of fulfillment. In addition, since this ordinance talks about taxation, its collection with the additional incentive will happen during the next tax collection cycle which is next year.

I still have a number of ordinances that I am currently working on to be passed on final reading by the present council that deals with the environment, the attraction of more investors to choose Iloilo City, the moral guidance of young people in using the internet and for the safety and well being of the residents and guests of the city.

I will constantly listen to the people of the city and always observe on what we could possibly do to help make Iloilo City a better place to live in. I will do my part in the legislative body and even go beyond it by bringing innovative special programs and projects to the city with the help of the people of Iloilo City. I can’t do this alone. I continue to need the support of Iloilo City. When we are united, we can make great things possible.

I am proud to be an Ilonggo. I am proud to be born in Iloilo City. I am proud that my roots can be traced from the Municipality of Barotac Viejo in the 5^th District of Iloilo. I am also proud to have chosen to reside in Iloilo City specifically in MV Hechanova, Jaro.

I am honored and privileged to be given the strong support and trust of the Ilonggos especially the city residents for giving me a chance to serve them as the youngest city councilor at age 27 in the year 2007 and re-elected as the number 1 city councilor in the recently concluded 2010 elections. Service has no boundaries and limitations. It has been my boyhood dream to be of service to Ilonggos in an official and elected capacity. To the almost hundred thousand Ilonggos who support me, I will forever be grateful. I will continue to give you excellent public service. You are my strength and my boss. Iloilo has not only been good to me in terms of my public service career but also in my other endeavors.

When I transferred my residency to Iloilo City, I was blessed to be given a chance to mold young minds by being a teacher and professor. I was even ranked as number 1 teacher of Iloilo National High School. Moreover, I enjoyed the exchange of ideas with my students in the post graduate lectures and courses in John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University, the Philippine Christian University and the St. Roberts International Academy. Aside from teaching, I have been also invited to be guest lecturer, guest speaker and resource person by various schools, universities and organizations.

In the field of communications, another blessing came my way when I was invited by Y’d Screen Productions to co-host a cable TV show that focuses on youth issues and activities. Until today, now with my own tri-media production outfit, LEX Express Artistic Productions (LEAP), I am the solo TV host, radio anchor and newspaper columnist of LEX Talk. It is said to be the first tri-media youth oriented show in Western Visayas. Thank you to everyone who has supported it for almost four years already.

It is also in Iloilo City that I took up further education and just last year earned my Doctor of Management with concentration in Public Management Degree from the Central Philippine University and I am said to be one of the youngest to have earned such at age 30. It is the first school I attended in Iloilo since I attended various schools (LSGH, ADMU, AIM, UPD) from kinder to Masters in Metro Manila. Thank you to all of those who believed that I can earn it even at a young age especially to my professors in CPU as well as the Dean. I believe in continuous education and that we have to improve ourselves always.

In my personal life, I have met my closest friends, associates and God parents here in Iloilo City. As they say, real friends are few and that’s why I cherish them. One of my closest friends (God brother) who I met in Iloilo City is even the reason why I met my wife. He set us up and convinced me to take a chance on a very beautiful, pure, religious, compassionate, honest, trustworthy, intelligent woman who is a medical doctor and who comes from a good family. I am so blessed to have found and kept a rare find, an awesome girl and a great catch in the person of my better half.

Thank you Iloilo especially Iloilo City for changing my life for the better.

Change as defined by Microsoft Thesaurus is about alteration, modification, transformation and amendment. Introducing change is said to be not easy since it would deal with a break from what some people are used to, a routine and sometimes tradition.

When one institutes change, it is ideally for the purpose of making things better and making thing most appropriate to the times and the legal decrees. The agent of change, therefore, should be someone who truly believes in the need for such, one who can stand by it and one who can withstand any hits and throws from the people who resist change and would like to retain the status quo even if it isn’t anymore fit and right to the situation and the community.

Given that there are various stakeholders, different views, various interests in play, pushing for change can happen with commitment, perseverance and courage. Some people will definitely not appreciate the need for change at the onset but eventually if things are done well and right, its good effects will be felt and recognized by all.

It has been said that some people fear the unknown and what is yet to be done but we have to be open to new things especially if they are meant to make things better. I value tradition but I also would like things to work for people now and our present situation.

I would like to believe that as a young and idealistic individual, I am bringing in innovative programs and I also help in bringing about beneficial and rational changes in our institutions and communities. As I have said in my first term when doing projects, pushing for ordinances and making stands, I am very much willing to put my political career and name on the line in the pursuit of making things better in our beloved city. It is not about me or my personal interests but it is about what is best for the City.

I will always do what is best and right for the city and its people I serve. I will abide by the Constitution, the Local Government Code and its Implementing Rules and Regulations and other legal decrees. I will stand firm with decisions that are fair and just. I will not allow any pressure from an individual or groups to influence my decisions especially if it is not for the good of the city in general. I am thankful that my family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances respect me for my being independent minded. Furthermore, I made sure and I will continue to make sure never to commit to anything that I cannot deliver or that I do not have the authority and power to make it happen.

Let us work for a better Iloilo City. Let us always practice diplomacy. Let us focus on suggestions and positive discussions in order to bring changes that are needed by our institutions and our society. A secure and sincere leader is someone who listens, talks to everyone, is open to changes and will never just do anything for his personal gain.

Being independent is about being autonomous, self-determining, free, on your own and unconstrained.

Who wouldn’t want to make their own decisions? Who wouldn’t prefer making voluntary actions? Who doesn’t like being trusted to make independent, personal and well thought of decisions?

Apparently, independence involves trust, responsibility and accountability.

Trust is defined by Microsoft Thesaurus as faith, belief, confidence, rely on and hope. Trust goes both ways. It is afforded to the person that he or she can manage well and make proper decisions on his or her own. It is also about believing in oneself to make a good and right decision.

Responsibility is defined by Microsoft Thesaurus as job, duty, task, dependability, reliability and trustworthiness. To be responsible is to know one’s role, job and to make sure that it is done well and properly. It also is in line with being professional. The book Jesus Christ CEO defines professionals as people who stay focused on the successful accomplishment of their mission and do the difficult tasks.

Accountability is defined by Microsoft Thesaurus as answerability. It is about knowing that you face consequences of your decisions and you are willing to stand by your decisions.

Maybe some would add more ingredients and factors in being successfully independent but at the end of the day it is about making sure that we decide well, we analyze well and we can live by the decisions we make.

I am blessed and grateful that I was raised to be independent minded. People closest to me since I was young respected my decision even if sometimes isn’t the most popular one but what I felt was right during that time. I’m not easily swayed by peer pressure or group think which makes me more objective regardless of emotional attachments or affiliations.

It is best for us to decide for ourselves. Let us trust ourselves to make the best decisions. Let us not decide based on emotion, pressure or impulse but rather on what is best for us, for others involved and for all stakeholders that might be affected by such a decision.

By being independent minded, we can make rational decisions that we can defend, be proud of and we can stand by with.

I would like to end with my usual spiel, Ini liwat ang inyo amigo, abyan, primo kag sulugu-on, Iloilo City Councilor LEX Tupas, gasiling para sa padayun nga kauswagan kag pagsulong sang Syudad sang Iloilo, UGYON Iloilo. Ilonggos are worth working and fighting for.