Taraka mayor vows to improve constituents’ lot

By ROCAYA SUMNDAD OTICAL YAHYA
July 8, 2019

In the presence of her immediate family, Taraka re-elected mayor Nashiba Gandamra-Sumagayan takes her oath before Lanao del Sur assistant provincial prosecutor Haroun Bin Omar Manabilang. (RSOY)

TARAKA, Lanao del Sur: The re-elected mayor of the municipality of Taraka, Lanao del Sur has vowed to continue improving the lot of her people as she begins another mandate as re-elected local chief executive of the municipality even as she thanked her people for their trust on her.

In her inaugural address, Mayor Nashiba Gandamra Sumagayan said the trust and confidence that she received from the people of Taraka cannot be equated with any material thing and she promised to do her best to prove that they are not wrong in choosing her for the third time as mayor of the municipality.

The lady mayor who was re-elected for a third term promised to continue working hard in improving the lot of the people of heer people whose trust and confidence she gained.

Mayor Nashiba's better half, the former assemblyman of the defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Atty. Aminoden Sumagayan was also elected municipal vice mayor. 

Meanwhile, elected municipal councilors of Taraka are:

1. Salic Colangcag

2. Halim Mangata 

3. Diamar Pandapatan

4. Khalid Sumagayan

5. Nassef Sumpingan

6. Sambitory Paunte

7.Jamael Sumagayan, and

8. Saidamen Comadug.

“This day, my last term as mayor of this municipality will start. Time runs so fast. It seems just while ago when I ran in 2013 as mayor. And I must admit, it has not all been easy for me. As former professor of Mindanao State University, mother of my children, and wife of another politico, I knew I would face many challenges. One of which was giving up my job as professor of MSU in order to continue the good things which had been started by my better half," Sumagayan said.

She said one difficult thing was learning how to keep herself away from her family always. She understood that her time will be divided, as a mother, wife and mayor which are all difficult but equally important to her.

Part of the inaugural speech of Mayor Sumagayan is as follows:

"When my predecessor, Atty. Amenodin U. Sumagayan, was still our Mayor in 2004 until 2013, I saw his sincere determination to change the lives of his people. I saw how he gave what little he could give just to bring improvements to our beloved place. I know you are witness to the struggle that he did.

"When I sat as a mayor in July 2013, our former mayor, now our vice mayor, had already done many things for our people with the help of the government agencies.

"Nandyan na ang ibat ibang ifrastructures kagaya ng farm to market roads (FMRs) para mapadali ang ibat ibang transaction sa ating lugar, Our municipal hall, civic or multipurpose centers, water system at marami pang iba.At hanggang ngayon ay pinagpapatuloy parin natin. But the most important part, he was able to establish peace and order in our locality once again. I remember before, hirap ang mga tao na lumabas sa kanilang sariling pamamahay dahil sa pangamba na baka may mangyari masama sa kanila dahil sa “REDO” or family feud sa atin.

"Alhamdulillah kahit papaanu ay unti unti ng nabigyan ng solution ang mga yon at nakakalakad ka na sa ating lugar na walng takot o pangamba dahil nadagdagan ng police visibility pati na rin ang presence ng military. Our hope for a brighter future was never higher than the level of the water in our river during summer. But he took that as a challenge and set forth to change the tides. At ngayon, isa na tayo sa peaceful na locality sa lanao del sur. Alhamdulilah.

"During those three terms, he had made so many changes and I dare say, that without his initiatives during his administration, I don’t believe we are close to what we are now as a progressing community. Naging motivation ko ang goal and aspirations niya para sa ating lugar. And like him, I also took the challenge to also create more possibilities for our community without any fear of being ignored dahil ako ay isang babae and for the first time na magkaroon ng lady mayor ng Taraka. I dreamed to leave a mark on our locality that will not only benefit the present but the future as well.

"And as I did not have to start from scratch, I used what he had already established as my vantage point for my own platforms. I continued what he had already started like delivery of public services. Sinimulan ko sa pagtutok sa educational system ng ating munisipalidad kasi naniniwala po ako na nag edukasyon ng mga kabataan ang ating magiging daan para sa mas magandang kinabukasan ng ating bayan.Ang kabataan ang ng kung ano man ang nasimulan natin at ang magpapatibay pa nito kaya lubos akong naniniwala sa kanilang kakayahan 

"Kasama ang Department of Education at Local School Board, nakapagsagawa tayo ng iba’t ibang programa na nakakatulong at nakakapagbigay suporta sa ating mga mag-aaral. Maliban doon, we have other partners outside LGU who untirelessly support our objectives kagaya ng SYNERGEIA FOUNDATION sa pangunguna ni Father Ben Neibres at Mam Nene Guenevarra na laging tumutulong sa atin. Hindi po lahat ng LGU ay nabibigyan ng opportunity na makasama sa Synergia Foundation but we have established connections with them because of how they have seen the previous administration’s inclination to provide quality educational services to our constituents. At mas pinagtibay pa po natin ito kaya natin nasusutain ang partnership natin sakanila. We also have health. Ika nga nila, Health is wealth kaya hindi po mawawala sa priority namin ang kalusugan ninyo. Just like education, we have health programs that we conduct consistently in our locality to ensure ou constituents’ well-being . We ae working closely with our RHU na pinangungunahan ni Dr. Bolawan Delawi. Lagi din po silang nakasuporta sa ating LGU sa lahat ng programang pangkalusugan na gusto nating isagawa. Nandyan din po ang Zuellig Family Foundation sa pangunguna ni Professor Ernesto Garilao at iba pa nating kaagapay na laging handing tumulong sa oras ng mga sakuna at hindi inaasahang pangyayari.

"Masasabi ko na marami na tayong napagdaanan bilang isang komunidad. Marami nang pagsubok ang dumating sa atin na talaga namang sinubok ang tatag natin bilang isang nagkakaisang mamamayan kagaya na lang ng nakaraang Marawi Crisis. Halos lahat tayo ay naging apektado. Yung iba sa atin ay itinurung na pangalawang tiahan ang Marawi habang yung iba, ay may kapamilya na naninirahan doon. Higit pa don, centro ng ekonomiya ang Marawi kung kaya’t ang pagkasira nito ay lahat kawalan para sa atin. Naging mahirap ang pamumuhay sa ating lahat sa iba’t ibang aspeto ng buhay pero di tayo sumuko. Kasama ng ibang bumubou ng ating LGU, at ang iba pa nating mga kasama sa gobyerno gaya ng LIGA ng mga barangays, Sanggunian Bayan, Municipal employees ginawa namin ang aming makakaya para makatulong sa inyong lahat. Natulungan po tayong lahat mai-uwi ang iba pa nating mga kababayan na napunta sa ibang lugar para mas mabigyan sila ng atensyon dito. Sa katunayan, isa po tayo sa mga LGU na nakapagsagawa ng LIPAT IDPs and we could have not done that without all your efforts and cooperation. Hindi ko kayo iniwan at hindi niyo ko iniwan. Ang ating pagkakaisa ay higit pa nagting napatunayan at napagtibay kaya maraming maraming salamat po. Alam ko hanggang ngayon dama pa din natin ang naging epekto ng Marawi Crisis. Yung iba satin ay nagsisimula pa lang ng panibagong buhay pero makakaasa po kayo na ginagawa namin ang lahat para hindi na maulit yun. Regular po tayong nagka-conduct ng mga meetings kasama ang ating mga kapulisan at iba pa nating kasamahan sa militar. Wag po sana kayong magsagawa sa paulit ulit naming pagtawag ng iba’t ibang pag pupulong kagaya ng MPOC at MADAC paa mapanitili natin ang kaayusan at kapayapaan sa ating lugar lalo na ang programa natin sa pagsugpo sa illegal na droga, othe forms of criminalities at terrorismo. Gusto lang po naming masiguro ang kaligtasan niyo.

"Sana po lagi niyo kaming suportahan at tulungan sa pagpapatupad ng mga batas at pograma na isinasagawa namin. Para po sainyo ang lahat ng iyon. At hindi din po kami magtatagumpay kung wala kayo. Hindi man gaanong kalawak ang ating komunidad pero isa na tayo sa mga kinikilalang municipality dahil sa mga parangal na nai-uwi natin. Isa na jan ang pagiging SGLG Passes natin nitong nakaranang taon. Isang napakalaking parangal po ang mapanilang sa mga SGLG Passers kasi hindi lahat nagququalify dito. Out of 1 thousand plus municipalities in the Philippines only 200 plus ang nakasama. Pero nakaya natin dahil sa kooperasyon ng lahat. Alhamdulillah, naging Hall of Fame Red Orchid Awardee din tayo since 2015 to 2017. This honor is not just our LGU’s but ours. Lahat tayo nagmamay-ari nito dahil hindi po magiging possible yun kung wala ang cooperation at tulong niyo maliit man o malaki. Ika nga ng aking department heads and tawag, sama sama, walang iwanan. Itong susunod na tatlong taon as my last term, tayo tayo na naman po ang magkakasama at magtutulongan. Sana mas marami pa tayong magawa para mas mapaganda at mapaunlad natin ang Taraka. Makakaasa po kayo na hindi man po namin napeperfect yung performance namin, makakaasa kayo na mas madodoble pa po ang efforts natin ngayong makakasama na natin ang nagsimulan ng pagbabago dito sa Taraka, ang ating bagong Vice Mayor. Atty. Amenodin U. Sumagayan. At sympre, anjan ang magre-elected councilors at mga bagong nahalal na maasahan at magiging katuwang din natin sa pagunlad na ating lugar. Sana po gawin nating inspiration ang tiwala na binigay satin ng mga tao para mas mapabuti pa natin ang ating panunungkulan.

"Para naman po sa mga former local officials na nagbigay serbisyo sa maraming tao nitong nakaraang termino katulad ng naunang Vice Mayor at now Board Member, Ho. Alicozaman Mangata at ang mga nakagraduate na mga councilors, maraming maraming salamat po. Isa kayo sa mga naging instumento upang maisulong natin ang mga magagandang programa natin. At naniniwala akong marami pa din po kayong magagawa mapa-local official man o hindi. Isa lang poi to sa puweding maging daan para makapagbigay serbisyo sa ating kapwa. Uulitin ko po, maaming maraming salamat po sa tiwalang binigay niyo saakin. Hindi ko po sasayangin ang isa pang pagkakataon na naibigay saakin para makatulong at makapaglingkod sainyo. At this point, Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to extend my deepest gratitude and appreciation to the significant people in my life. My parents (Camaco & Aya) who instilled good values in us and never failed to guide us in our respective career, my parents in law (daddy & mommy) who untirelessly stood as my second parents lalo na si mommy, my siblings and my children (almeerah, aquil, adiv, adel) who act as ‘Mother’ & ‘Father’ to ou little ones wheneve we are not around, Moshi & AA for understanding us why most of the time wala kami sa bahay though AA is always asking many Y’s, most importantly the person who always remind me of many things in life, an inspiration to me to continually do what is best to our people, the man behind the tagline ‘Asenso Serbisyo’, no other than my Superman the former mayor, the former assemblyman and now the Vice Mayor, Atty.Amenodin Usodan Sumagayan. Inuulit ko po, mula sa kaibutoran ng aking puso, maraming maraming salamat po, Assallamo Alaikum Warahmataullahi Wabarakato."

The occasion was attended by the men in uniform, PNP, DepEd, Municipal Staff, Municipal Chairmen, BPATs, line of agencies and the municipal constituents and the Sarimanok sa Ranao kulintang showcase. (RSOY)