Arenas’ daughter bares plan to run for Congress

CALASIAO, Pangasinan — Amid the cold winds of December, the political pot is beginning to brew in the third district of this province as a young Harvard University-educated woman announced her intent to join the congressional race in 2007.

As Rachel Arenas, 29-year-old daughter of philanthropist Rose Marie "Baby" Arenas, put it, she is entering politics "to fulfill a promise" to Pangasinenses.

"I promised the people that after I graduated abroad, I would come back and devote my life to them and serve them. So right after I graduated, despite many offers to work abroad like in the World Bank and the United Nations, I chose to put my heart into this," the young Arenas, accompanied by her mother, told reporters in a restaurant here Wednesday night.

"So now I’m back (to) fulfill my promise to them," she said.

Describing herself as "simpleng taong gustong magsilbi sa bayan (a simple person who wants to serve the country)," Rachel said she wants to use what she had learned from "one of the best universities" abroad in serving the people of Pangasinan, from where her grandparents hail.

Rachel belongs to the political clans of Reyna and Calimlim.

The Arenas family bought a 15-hectare mango farm in Barangay Nancapianan, Malasiqui town nine years ago. Rachel registered as a voter in Malasiqui after the 2004 elections.

Even before her family bought the mango farm in Malasiqui, Rachel said she has been going to this ‘beautiful province," seeing its potentials and experiencing the warmth of its people.

"I guess everybody will agree that home is where my heart is and this is my home. Of course, much more the home of my mother," she said.

Rachel said it was her mother who greatly influenced her in deciding to run for Congress in the 2007 elections.

But even as a young girl, she recalled being exposed to people who visited their home. She majored in Political Science at the De La Salle University "precisely because I love politics."

Rachel said her mother has always told her children not to be selfish and always look after the people’s welfare first.

She said she was exposed to political campaigns when she helped the candidacy of former President Fidel Ramos and her own mother’s senatorial and congressional bids.

"I have no other agenda than to uplift the lives of the people here. That alone would qualify me to run for public office," she said.

Rachel said she worked as a volunteer for a foundation for the longest time even when she was still in high school. "I (served) the sick, the needy, the less fortunate even 15 years ago so I believe kayang-kaya po," she said.

Like her mother, she said she is ready to face her own political fight. In fact, she said that this early, black propaganda has already been hurled against her.

"I have actually experienced that (black propaganda) with my family and it was painful in the beginning because I was younger then, but as you get older, you get wiser," she said.

The elder Arenas, watching her daughter interact with the local media, said, "I think the province is lucky to have somebody like her who likes to run."

"In fact, I am discouraging her to run and for her instead to give the jobs being offered her abroad a try. But I respect and fully support her for offering herself to public service," she added.

Rachel said she has prepared herself well for her political fight, including pursuing her studies abroad, because she wants her supporters and Pangasinenses to be proud of her.

"So I believe I am very much ready to serve (now)," she said.

Based on her resumé, Rachel studied in Colegio San Agustin all the way to high school, took up a year in Law in Ateneo, left for Harvard, and underwent courses in negotiations and mediation and a seminar on campaign leadership.

She described her present job in the National Development Company as "very fulfilling," but she said she feels she has to finish a mission in Pangasinan.

Arenas may face a tough congressional fight in 2007 with Bayambang Mayor Leocadio de Vera Jr., who is now on his last term; retired police general Reynaldo Velasco; and Generoso Tulagan Jr., son of incumbent third district Rep. Generoso Tulagan, who is on his third and last term.