Joaquin Chipeco Jr., Calamba’s pride

At an impressive dinner given in his honor over the weekend, Mayor Joaquin Chipeco Jr. quoted Calamba’s local boy who became more than good, i.e., the national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal: “There must be progress, and those who go ahead guide the direction of its movement.”

The gleaming 20-foot high Rizal monument stands proudly across the new city hall building. Mayor Chipeco says, “I used to feel shamed by our having only short monuments, while other countries displayed statues of our hero in tall pedestals.”

The tributes honoring Mayor Chipeco spoke about his having gone ahead to guide the direction of Calamba’s progress. This journey is recounted in the city’s impressive first coffee table book that traces Calamba’s humble beginnings as a small part of Tabuco before becoming an independent pueblo during the Spanish occupation, and then a component city in 2001, and finally, as its crowning glory, its having been chosen the Regional Center for CALABARZON as the center of growth and urban development in the entire region.

The mayor proudly talks of Calamba’s being chosen the Regional Government Center for CALABARZON. The joint venture agreement with MTD Philippines, a wholly owned subsidiary of Alloy MTD of Malaysia, establishes the country’s first one-stop-shop where citizens of the region can transact business with the regional offices of 50 national government agencies conveniently housed in four buildings in a three-hectare property in Barangay Mapagong.

Twelve years after its conversion to a component city, Calamba has come a long way to becoming a commercial and industrial hub. With nine industrial estates housing almost 300 companies, 250 public and private resorts and hot springs, over 5,000 commercial and manufacturing establishments (like Nestle, Toyota, SM City, Puregold and Walter Mart) and several small and medium enterprises, the city, says Chipeco, is a “veritable haven for investors.”

Just two years after he became mayor, Calamba was recognized as No. 1 city in Calabarzon to post a P1-billion gross income. This made it possible for the government to implement programs, notable of which is City College, established in 2006, which offers Bachelor of Science degrees at an unbelievable low cost of P2,000 per semester. At commencement exercises, parents — tricycle drivers, vendors and farmers — tearfully thank him for helping their children get a college education.

To help a good many of the 400,000 inhabitants are manpower development centers training housewives, residents and prisoners for various livelihood skills, and giving farmers incentives to increase their incomes.

Observers note less flooding of streets during the rainy season, and the villages built for informal settlers and victims of natural calamities.

Chipeco admits peace and order to be less than ideal, but this problem is the major concern of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

The agriculture sector is not relegated to the background. Programs to improve farmers’ production have resulted in Awards for Calamba as best LGU implementer for agricultural projects for Laguna province.

Concern for the agricultural sector became evident when he chaired the Jaycees’ International Search for the Outstanding Farmers of the Year awards 40 years ago. In time, the Search lay dormant.

Last year, Chipeco suggested that the awards be revived. “It’s high time that the farmers are given their destiny,” he said.

To his surprise, the awards sponsors gave him early this year the TOFARM award “for championing the welfare of the agriculture industry and the country and the commitment and contribution to the search for the outstanding farmers of Calamba.” Signatories to the awards are Rommel Cunanan, TOFARM 2012 national chairman, JCI Philippines; Randolf Ivan Ruste, JCI national president, and Milagros How, executive vice president of Universal Harvesters Inc.

Last weekend, he was conferred the degree of doctor of philosophy-public administration, honoris causa, by the Laguna State Polytechnic University. He was also presented with the first copy of an impressive coffee table book on Calamba, a project funded by Universal Harvester executive vice president Milagros How. Part 3 of the program awarded the city’s top real property, business and tourism-related taxpayers whose support has helped the mayor achieve his vision for a livable city for 400,000 inhabitants.

Mayor Chipeco ends his three terms as chief executive with the aspiration of returning to Congress which he had served for four terms — in the 8th, 10th, 11th and 12th Congress — as Representative of the 2nd District of Laguna.

As legislator, his performance was sterling. He was a member of and chaired some sensitive and influential committees.

As a neophyte congressman in the 8th Congress, to his pleasant surprise, UP-FORD judged him No. Nine out of 10 Outstanding Congressmen.

His term in the 12th Congress is considered very significant as this was when he authored three important pieces of legislation — RA 8759 or the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) Act of 1999; RA 9024 which converted the municipality of Calamba into a Component City of Laguna province, and RA 9138, the Administrative Naturalization Law of 2000.

Jun, as he is popularly called, finished the law course at San Beda College, and entered the world of politics when he ran for the Laguna provincial board in 1972, and continued to serve for two more terms. From 1986 to 1987, the late President Corazon Aquino appointed him OIC vice-governor of Laguna. Then, at the first free elections after the EDSA Revolution, Jun won a seat in the Eighth Congress in 1987, and continued serving it for three more terms.

Towards the end of his fourth term, he ran and was elected mayor of his own Calamba — for three terms.

Jun credits his successes in his ventures to his supporters, and especially his wife, Nelia Buenaventura, with whom he has four living children: Julian Eugene, Justin Mark or “Timmy,” Jacqueline and Joaquin III.

The Chipecos without a doubt are a strong political force in Laguna politics.

The first-generation Chipecos in politics began with Dominador, who was governor of Laguna from 1949 to 1961, followed by his brother Joaquin Sr., congressman for two terms.

Two other Chipecos became public servants: Victoriano, the younger brother of Governor Dominador and Congressman Joaquin Sr., who was appointed for a brief period (1986-87) as OIC mayor of Calamba by the late President Corazon Aquino, and Rene, Mayor Jun’s younger brother, as a provincial board member.

Currently, Jun’s son, Justin Mark or “Timmy,” who is currently finishing his third term as a congressman for the 2nd District of Laguna, is now running for mayor of Calamba, to replace his father.

Do the Chipecos then make up a political dynasty?

Jun says, “It depends on whether the dynasty is being used for good or evil. The people have elected us many times. We’ve accomplished many things. My record speaks for itself.”

When elected Representative, Jun says he intends to complement the present growth of the 2nd District with necessary legislation that will further push development, particularly along the line of business and industry, tourism and agriculture.

No one can doubt Jun’s words.

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Email: dominitorrevillas@gmail.com