A La Carlota City native has been elected No.1 council member of a city in the United States of America, Mayor Rex Jalando-on said Tuesday, January 3.
Dandy De Paula, son of the late SInsp. Eddie de Paula, and the late Nelia Gerzon-De Paula, a DepEd teacher, was elected No. 1 council member of the City of Hawaiian Gardens, California, USA, and was sworn in on December 13, the mayor said.
“Dandy has endeared himself to the Hawaiian Gardens community due to the many creative ways he has shown on how to care for and sincerely serve his fellowmen,” Jalandoon said on his Facebook page.
His training as a student leader from La Carlota North Elementary School and the Doῇa Hortencia S. Benedicto National High School has brought him to many corridors of organizations, stage productions and performances, he said.
His active leadership in his home church, La Carlota Evangelical Church, has made him a great “manong” to those whose lives he mentored through the years. These, and many more have left loving imprints in their lives, the mayor added.
De Paula migrated to the USA in 2000 and has served in various capacities as Children’s Ministry Director at Faith Christian Fellowship Church in CA, USA, Program Director, Covenant Kids Preschool, Los Angeles County Commissioner on Human Relations, Child Activity Leader at Disneyland and many more. He is presently an Independent Consultant.
“One of the sterling qualities of Dandy is always service with a style which undoubtedly, he inherited from his father Chief Eddie,” the mayor said.*