After 40 years, Pangasinan town elects male mayor

NATIVIDAD, Pangasinan, Philippines  – After four decades, the next mayor of this town in eastern Pangasinan is a man.

The record breaker – businessman Rodrigo Rafael (Lakas-Kampi-CMD) – won the mayoral race here, beating three other aspirants – Ma. Luisa Mil-lan-Supnet (Nacionalist People’s Coalition), incumbent Vice Mayor Manolito Noveda (Nacionalista Party), and Francis Taccad (Independent).

Rafael’s running mate, Mateo Briones, also won in the vice mayoral race against William Medrano Jr. (NPC), Rodrigo Noveda (NP), and Anne Miranda (Ind.).

Rafael will succeed Mayor Alejandrea Nadonza-Supnet, who is on her third term.

The last time Natividad had an elected male town executive was in 1963-67 – Beato Cachero (now deceased), who became mayor in 1959 and was re-elected in 1963.

He was preceded by Dr. Rodulfo Arciaga (also deceased), husband of Bonifacia Calica-Arciaga, who became mayor in 1967.

Mrs. Arciaga, a former high school teacher, was re-elected in 1971 and went on to serve as mayor when Martial Law was declared by then President Ferdinand Marcos on Sept. 21, 1972.

She held the town’s top post until EDSA 1 in 1986.

During the temporary revolutionary government following the 1986 upheaval, Arturo Manaois Jr. was appointed acting mayor for seven months. He was followed by Domingo Braganza (13 months) and Guil-lermo Barcena (four months).

When the electoral process was restored in 1988, an elementary school official, Susana Rillorta-Ancheta, won in the mayoral race. Ancheta (now deceased) served for one term (1988-1991).

She was succeeded by Rowena Zaragoza-Bernabe, who was mayor for three terms.

In the 2001 elections, Supnet beat Janette Zaragoza, a sister of Bernabe.

Natividad used to be a barangay official of San Nicolas north of here. It became a town in 1902 out of the barangays of San Nicolas, Tayug (west of here), and San Quintin (south of here). East of the town is the Caraballo Mountain.