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| Laoag Mayor Chevylle V. Farinñs administers the oath of the new barangay officials in the city. (Doms dela Cruz) |
By Dominic B. dela Cruz
Staff reporter
Laoag City—The city’s 53rd charter day celebration on June 19, 2018 turned emotional as officials, led by Laoag mayor Chevylle V. Fariñas, remembered the late Laoag vice mayor Michael V. Fariñas, who died in car crash on June 6, 2018 and buried on June 15, 2018.
Originally, the city’s celebration would have featured signing of sister-city accords with various cities. The late Mr. Fariñas personally visited the concerned cities earlier to forge initial agreements.
Mrs. Fariñas disclosed that the cities’ officials have signified that they will personally attend the charter day celebration to sign the agreements. Among those include Del Monte in Bulacan, Baguio City and Vigan City, among others.
Also schedule to attend were Telavi, Georgia officials to attend the event to formalize the union, which both the cites’ officials signed on August 8, 2017.
The Laoag government, however temporarily postponed the signings due to the Mr. Fariñas’ death. The city government, though, has not announced its plans for this.
Despite the vice mayor’s death, his wife, Mrs. Fariñas decided to push through with the event. The city government, however muted the celebrations.
On June 18, 2018, the mayor led the inaugurations of the village-type rice mill at the city agriculture office; RHU 2 and 3 at Barangays 27 and 2; the evacuation center at Barangay 1 and the retirement home and “Bahay Pag-asa” at Barangay Cabungaan-A.
On June 19, 2018, Mrs. Fariñas administered the oaths of all newly elected barangay officials of the city. This served as the main highlight of the event.
Laoag City government administrator John Michael “Jami” V. Fariñas, son of the late vice mayor, welcomed all the newly elected officials as he shared the love he learned from his father and the love his father shared with the people of Laoag.
In her speech, Mrs. Fariñas was emotional noting the absence of her late husband, knowing his support and love for the barangays.
She shared what she learned from the late vice mayor as her husband, as a father of their three children and as a politician.
“Michael loves all of you so much and I love Michael so much. I love all of you so much. So, there’s nothing left for me to do but to be strong for the people whom Michael and I love and for the people whose love us back,” the mayor said.
She congratulated the barangay officials stressing that no matter what: “Rigat, nam-ay, liday, ragsak, walang iwanan and that will forever remain’’.
She then appealed for their help to continue what her husband started.
Laoag Liga ng mga Barangay president Mary Michelle Louise “Mikee” V. Fariñas, daughter of the late vice mayor, also congratulated her fellow barangay officials.
The young Fariñas said she hopes the current city administration will continue to enjoy the full support of all the barangay officials despite the death of her father.
“Itul-tuloy tayo kadi appo a padak a barangay officials iti pinag-kaykaysa, pinaggi-innayat, pinagkakapia. Let us not make anybody or anyone ruin the unity, the friendship and the family that we have,” she said.
Meanwhile, new Laoag vice mayor Franklin Dante A. Respicio, the former senior Laoag councilor, also lauded the new set of barangay officials.
He also shared his experiences and friendship with the late vice mayor, whom he said he treated like a brother.
The new vice mayor then asked all the barangay officials to rally behind the mayor’s leadership.
Malacañang declared June 19, 2018 as a special non-working holiday in the city.