“First they ignore you, then they laugh
at you, then they fight you, then you win.” Mahatma Gandhi
By Alex P. Vidal
VICTORIA “Marivic” Griengo Mabilog has all the reason to be happy and proud.
Aside from being the wife of the world’s no. 5 city mayor, she lives in
the same city where the recently proclaimed winner of the 2014 World Mayor
comes from.
It’s a double victory, to say the least.
Marivic’s husband, Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, landed 5th
place among the 26 finalists.
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi has been awarded the 2014 World Mayor Prize
by the World Mayor Project.
Marivic, a senior finance officer in a Canadian private company, has been
based in Calgary, Alberta for nearly two decades and goes to Iloilo City every
now and then to attend important festivals and events, including family
affairs.
The first lady of Iloilo City, a low profile and someone who is allergic
to VIP treatment, must have rubbed elbows with Mayor Nenshi on countless
occasions in Calgary in the past although she “hates it to be introduced in
Canada as the wife of Jed because I am Marivic.”
Marivic, who landed 12th in the CPA licensure exams before she
met Mayor Mabilog, called her husband’s 5th place finish “a bliss”
while her normal blood pressure was “a blessing” the day she woke up to receive
the World Mayor news.
VISION
Bestowed every two years to a mayor who has developed and realized a
vision for urban living that is relevant to towns and cities across the world,
the award was conceived in 2004.
By honoring those who have served their communities well by governing
openly and honestly, and those who made significant contributions to cities
nationally and internationally, the projects aims to raise the profile of
mayors worldwide.
In his Facebook account, Mayor Mabilog expressed satisfaction with his
fifth place win:
“Well, I think no. 5 in the whole world is not bad? Its GOOD ENOUGH. To
be named among the World's top 5 is a huge honor for me, for my family, for my
country, the Philippines and my city. Thank you dear people of Iloilo City for
your trust and support. TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!! I am Iloilo, Proud to be
Filipino.”
The top 10 2014 World Mayor are:
1. Naheed Nenshi (Calgary, Canada)
2. Daniël Termont (Ghent,
Belgium)
3. Tri Rismaharini (Surabaya, Indonesia)
4. Carlos Ocariz (Sucre, Venezuela)
5. Jed Patrick Mabilog (Iloilo City, Philippines)
6. Albrecht Schröter (Jena,
Germany)
7. Annise Parker (Houston, USA)
8. Yiannis Boutaris (Thessaloniki,
Greece)
9. Giusy Nicolini (Lampedusa, Italy)
10. Aziz Kocaoglu (Izmir, Turkey)
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