Victorias Mayor Javier Miguel “Javi” Benitez, president of the Negros Association of Chief Executives, rallied his fellow mayors to “band together and succeed together”.
Benitez and the rest of the officers of the Negros ACE took their oaths before Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson at rites at the Social Hall of the Capitol in Bacolod City Wednesday morning, July 27.
Other officers of the league are Nicholas Yulo of Bago City – vice president, Salvador Escalante of Cadiz City – secretary general, Jilson Tubillara of San Enrique – treasurer, Raymund Tongson of Himamaylan City – auditor and Lawrence Marxlen dela Cruz of Salvador Benedicto – public information officer.
Members of the Board of Directors are Alfredo Abelardo Benitez – Bacolod, Melecio Yap Jr. of Escalante City – 1st District, Manuel Escalante III of Manapla – 2nd District, Victor Gerardo Rojas of Murcia – 3rd District, Enrique Miravalles of Valladolid – 4th District, Alejandro Mirasol of Binalbagan – 5th District, and Maria Gina Lizares of Sipalay City – 6th District.
His father, the mayor of Bacolod, who is joining the Negros ACE has agreed to pay the past dues of the city amounting to about P1.2 billion, Benitez said.
The unpaid dues of Bacolod to the Negros ACE covers an about six year period.
Bacolod Mayor Benitez, who was in Manila, was unable to attend the oath taking rites.
The Negros ACE president stressed the need for the mayors to collaborate to learn from each ones best practices in order for their local government units (LGUs) to become more competitive, and to support the agendas of the provincial and national governments.
He will also call on the mayors to ramp up their COVID-19 booster and anti-dengue drives, Benitez said in an interview.
Fully vaccinated no longer means having a second dose, it means having a booster shot, he added.
The Negros ACE will also help avail of grants to help LGUs and for local chief executives to travel and learn, Benitez said.
Lacson, in his speech, said conscious of the importance of the collaboration between the provincial government and the LGUs, Negros ACE was established 20 years ago in 2002 under the leadership of then governor Joseph Marañon.
As a pioneer of Negros ACE, Lacson said he is glad to see how the organization has flourished and how it has become more relevant than ever, especially in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am confident that with your commitment to service and probity as leaders, your local government units and our province will be able to reclaim what the pandemic took and usher our people to a better, more sustainable, and resilient future,” he told the Negros ACE officers.
Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer said he is optimistic that Benitez will lead the Negros ACE “towards a progressive, responsive and dynamic organization that could achieve the objectives that will benefit every town and city in Negros Occidental.”
“Start searching for that ace in your leadership that will make a difference in the lives of your people,” Ferrer said said.*