Cadiz Mayor Escalante Declares To Be Voice of NIR at LCP

“I will be the voice of Negros Island Region at LCP!”

So declared Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr., who was elected vice president for the Visayas of the League of Cities in the Philippines (LCP) in an election held in Manila on Friday, August 8.

Escalante’s new position at LCP is an added feather in his cap since he was also the newly installed president of Association of Chief Executives (ACE) in Negros Occidental.

But the two added positions he has right now aside from being an incumbent mayor of Cadiz are not just for glamour.

Rather, both speak of a certain mission – to make a difference amid the curent test of time.

“I just don’t want to carry and brag these two new positions I have right now at LCP and ACE-Negros Occidental. As promised, I will work for each in a meaningful way to the best of my ability,” he stressed.

One in mind, said Escalante, is to push for the program of Philippine Normal University (PNU) – a teacher per municipality and city across the country.

“I will push this with LCP and, at the same time, with ACE-Negros Occidental. This is one noble program meant to ensure that every town and city in the entire country can really produce one teacher per year funded by their respective local governments,” the ACE- Negros Occidental president said.

Escalante knows this program is noblest because PNU is known for its astonishing way of producing quality mentors around the country through the years.

Cadiz is one among the host localities for PNU campuses across the country.

“Since 1968, we saw how PNU-Visayas in Cadiz evolves into a hub that produces quality teachers,” he said.

“With their newest program – a teacher in every town and city – I can’t help, but to imagine how PNU, LCP and ACE can make the country truly a manufacturer of the best teachers in the communities through a beautiful synergy,” Escalante said, adding, “It’s timeliness now falls within my incumbency at ACE-Negros Occidental and LCP as president and VP for the Visayas, respectively.”

Escalante will also push for the retooling and upskilling of all government disaster workers in towns and cities via disaster risk reduction management summit soonest.

“The time is calling us to be more than prepared with all the natural calamities challenging us now from time to time,” he said. “Hence, we need to train further our disaster workers how to respond to the modern time disasters to ensure a zero casualty scenario because life is what we need to take care amid crises.”

Thusly, Escalante thanked all the city mayors in Negros Island Region (NIR), Western Visayas and the rest in the Visayas Region for trusting him to lead them.

“This is really overwhelming to note,” he said. “Trust is priceless. It’s even beyond respect. I will not fail them. I will be the voice of NIR at LCP.”

Meanwhile, Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya and Himamaylan City Raymund Tongson were also elected as LCP’s focal mayors for mental health awareness, and representative for NIR, respectively.

While Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora were chosen as LCP’s national chairman and president, respectively.* (PR)