DAVAO DEL NORTE – The inclement weather seemed to have expressed sympathy to the people of Davao del Norte when they sent former Governor Gelacio P. Gementiza off to his final resting place.
Amid pouring rain, hundreds of family, friends, officials and supporters accompanied the past patriarch of the province to his grave at about 2:30 pm last Sunday at his backyard in Apokon, Tagum City.
Dubbed as the governor of the masses”, Yayong’s term as governor from 2004 to 2007 was characterized as a period of sustained progress for Davao del Norte.
Governor Rodolfo del Rosario acknowledged Yayong for sustaining the gains of the province and for espousing rational politics that primarily focused on the benefit of the masses.
He recalled Gementiza’s humble beginnings, describing his success story as inspirational, particularly for ordinary people who are willing to serve the public.
“Yayong is a testament that politics is not only for the rich,” he said, at the necrological services, during Gementiza’s wake at the Bulwagan ng Lalawigan on Friday.
As a migrant from Bohol, Gementiza started out as a fledgling sidewalk vendor and tricycle operator before rising to become vice mayor of Tagum in 1967. Since then, he became a permanent fixture in local politics.
He became mayor in 1972 and was elected Vice Governor of Davao del Norte in 1980. He returned as mayor when Tagum became a component city in 1998, receiving yet another mandate in the 2001 polls.
In 2004, del Rosario gave way to Yayong to fulfill his dream of becoming governor.
1st District Congressman Anthony del Rosario recognized Yayong for helping “shape the socio-economic, cultural and political landscape of Davao del Norte.”
The representative, who was Yayong’s vice governor at the time, said among the milestones of the former governor’s administration include the sustaining of the minimum basic needs (MBN) strategy, reorganization of the Provincial Human Resources Management Office, scholarship program on post-graduate studies for Capitol employees and extending emergency and soft loans to provincial officials and employees, and the likes.
His strong support to the sector of women and their children also capped with the start of the P23-million Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) program and the Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition (CROWN) award received by the province under his watch.
Yayong also reorganized and strengthened the Provincial Task Force on Illegal Logging which led to the seizure of over ten truckloads of hot logs and more than 30 cases filed in court.
The representative further recalled Yayong’s dedication to peace and order was best exemplified in an instance when the former governor personally negotiated the successful release of a child from a deranged hostage taker.
Yayong was further respected as an astute political strategist, who often outsmarted those who took him for granted.
“He was full of surprises... He really earned my respect,” the older del Rosario said.(Noel Baguio_DavNor PIO)
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