Double victory for Marivic Mabilog

“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 5^th 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 12^th in the CPA licensure exams before she met Mayor Mabilog, called her husband’s 5^th 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)

World Mayor 2014 known Feb. 3; Mabilog in top 26

“I would not vote for the mayor. It's not just because he didn't invite me to dinner, but because on my way into town from the airport there were such enormous potholes.”  Fidel Castro

By Alex P. Vidal

WILL he make it?

Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog is among the 26 finalists in the World Mayor 2014.

The winner will be announced on February 3, 2015, according to its London-based website.

The announcement will come after two major events in Iloilo City: the Dinagyang Festival on January 24-25, and the feast of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria (Our Lady of the Candles) in Jaro district on February 2.

“After the verification process of votes and testimonials, the World Mayor jury, made up of senior members of the City Mayors Foundation, will start its deliberations,” announced the worldmayor.com. 

“The name of the winner and other results will be announced on Tuesday, 3 February 2015.”

Mabilog, one of the closest allies of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, is one of the six finalists from Asia.

He is the only one who made it from the Philippines.

Earlier, Mabilog was joined in the list by Mayors Edgardo Pamintuan of Angeles City, Ferdinand M. Amante of Butuan City, Rodrigo Duterte of Davao City, Juliet Marie Ferrer of La Carlota City, Benjamin Abalos of Mandaluyong City, and Eric Saratan of Talisay City, Negros Occidental.

Since the announcement last year that Mabilog was among the finalists, both the mayor’s critics and supporters claimed they submitted their comments about Mabilog to the organizers via online.

RESOLUTION

The Iloilo City Council passed a resolution on October 7, 2014 supporting Mabilog’s bid.

Resolution proponent Joshua Alim also exhorted his colleagues to vote for the city mayor online.

The website said: “The philanthropic City Mayors Foundation awards the World Mayor Prize every two years to a mayor who has made outstanding contributions to his/her community and has developed a vision for urban living and working that is relevant to towns and cities across the world.”

The Prize has been awarded since 2004.

The foundation “honors mayors with the vision, passion and skills to make their cities incredible places to live in, work in and visit.”

It added: “The World Mayor Project aims to show what outstanding mayors can achieve and raise their profiles nationally and internationally.”

Organizers of the World Mayor Project choose city leaders who excel in qualities like: leadership and vision, management abilities and integrity, social and economic awareness, ability to provide security and to protect the environment as well as the will and ability to foster good relations between communities from different cultural, racial and social backgrounds.

The winner receives the artistically acclaimed World Mayor trophy, while the runner-up is given the World Mayor Commendation.

Those who voted via online were asked to consider whether the candidate was likely to agree to the City Mayors Code of Ethics. Candidates wishing to be considered for the World Mayor Prize were asked to sign up to the Code.

ATTACHMENT

Attachment of a “thoughtful supporting statement” was required for those who voted.

Here are the finalists: (North America) Mayor Naheed Nenshi, Calgary, Canada; Mayor Annise Parker, Houston, USA; Mayor Mick Cornett, Oklahoma City, USA; Mayor Kevin Johnson, Sacramento, USA;

(Latin America) Mayor Marcio Lacerda, Belo Horizonte, Brazil;

Mayor Álvaro Arzú, Guatemala City, Guatemala; Mayor Carlos Eduardo Correa, Monteria, Colombia; Mayor Carlos Ocariz, Sucre, Venezuela;

(Europe) Mayor Daniel Termont, Ghent, Belgium; Mayor Alain Juppé, Bordeaux, France; Mayor Albrecht Schröter, Jena, Germany; Mayor Yiannis Boutaris, Thessaloniki, Greece; Mayor Giusy Nicolini, Lampedusa, Italy; Mayor Nils Usakovs, Riga, Latvia; Mayor José Ramón García, Ribera de Arriba, Spain;

Mayor George Ferguson, Bristol, UK; Mayor Joe Anderson, Liverpool, UK;

(Asia) Mayor Tri Rismaharini (Risma), Surabaya, Indonesia; Mayor Yona Yahav, Haifa, Israel; Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, Iloilo City, Philippines; Mayor Hani Mohammad Aburas, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Mayor Park Won-soon, Seoul, South Korea; Mayor Aziz Kocaoglu, Izmir, Turkey;

(Australia) Mayor Clover Moore, Sydney, Australia; (Africa) Mayor Jacqueline Moustache, Victoria, Seychelles; Mayor Thabo Manyoni, Mangaung, South Africa.

Good luck, Mayor Mabilog.

Mabilog as finalist in World Mayor 2014

“When the burdens of the presidency seem unusually heavy, I always remind myself it could be worse. I could be a mayor.” Lyndon B. Johnson

By Alex P. Vidal

As Ilonggos and residents of Iloilo City, we are proud that Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog is among the 25 finalists for World Mayor 2014, a biennial award organized by the City Mayors Foundation since 2004.

Mabilog is one of the only six finalists from Asia. No other mayor from the Philippines has made it to the finals, except him. The mayor of Surabaya, Indonesia is the only other finalist from Southeast Asia.

Europe has the most number of finalists at 8. North America and Latin America have four finalists apiece. Africa has two and Australia has one.

No other Iloilo City mayor has reached this far in as far as international recognition and achievement for a local chief executive is concerned.

Iloilo City has been blessed with a lot of outstanding and world class mayors in the past in the persons of Jose Gay, Matias Ybiernas, Rosauro Jocson, Quirino Abeto, Euologio Garganera, Serapion Torre, Vicente Ybiernas, Mariano Benedicto, Fernando Lopez, Rafael Jalandoni, Juan Borja, Dominador Jover, Reinerio Ticao, Francisco Garganera, Rodolfo T. Ganzon, Zafiro Ledesma, Antonio Hechanova, Mansueto Malabor, and Rep. Jerry Trenas.  

None of them, however, has made it to the same global stage, where the opportunity to be known worldwide, to hammer out a chance to attract investors and showcase the city's potentials, are within reach.

BETTER

We are not saying that Mabilog is better than his predecessors. Most of the illustrious names we just mentioned, in fact, were some of the greatest leaders in the country if not in the entire Asia during their time.

Their difference is Mabilog happens to belong to the new spectrum of young and dynamic leaders in the new age where cultural, educational, tourism, political, scientific, economic and technological activities in the world are interconnected and interrelated.

He reigns and manages this metropolis in the era where all cities, boundaries, provinces, prefectures, states and territories in the world are bunched in a global village through the power and influence of modern technology and progressive diplomatic relations.

Mabilog deserves the support of the entire Ilonggo populace in this race. We don’t send to the finals of World Mayor our city mayor every day. Regardless of political affiliations and internal issues, Ilonggos should solidly rally behind Mabilog in his quest to outwit the 24 other finalists. His pride is also our pride. His success is also our success. His failure is also our failure.

VISIT

When we visit other cities here and abroad in the future, we would be proud to admit that we belong in the “City of Love”, and our mayor was once upon a time among the 25 finalists in the World Mayor. By his being a finalist is already, in fact, a victory for the Ilonggos, as it would place the city on the map and spur our economic life once investors start to Google our city and connect with our business leaders.

Support for a local leader vying for an international recognition is not a new undertaking. It happened in other cities in the past, it is happening, and it will happen in the future.

When we were in Surrey, British Columbia in 2010, we saw how constituents of Mayor Dianne Watts supported her all the way when she was picked as one of the finalists in the contest that year.

ENEMIES

Watts’ political enemies and critics in media set aside their animosity and agreed to hold a ceasefire to support the lady mayor. It was a gallant display of camaraderie and solidarity among the people of Surrey for the common good of the “City of Parks.”   

According to the world mayor website, the City Mayors board of fellows will choose the winner and two runner-ups based on the number of email votes received and the strength and passion of supporting testimonials.

“The organizers believe that the persuasiveness of argument is as important as the number of votes. This ensures that a ‘good’ mayor from a smaller city can compete on equal terms with a mayor from a large metropolis. All 25 shortlisted mayors will be asked to agree to the City Mayors' Code of Ethics,” explained the website.

We know what to do now.