If there is one thing that makes a person stand out in a crowd, it definitely would be the “Moral Fiber”, upon which one builds his career.

A true blue Baguio Boy who subscribes to the axiom, “Character Makes the Man,” our speaker was once a pupil who definitely wanted to make something of himself during his elementary days.

As thus, he strove to be the best in his class, consistently garnering honors from the time he set foot in Grade 1 in Quezon Elementary School, up to the time he continued his education in other scholastic institutions. “We should strive more to be the best that we can be through education,” he always declares, as he still grabs every opportunity to be trained in various concerns regarding his chosen vocation – being the Supervising Tourism Officer of the City of Baguio.

In High School, he became part of an elite honor section at SLU Boys High, the last batch of classical, which catapulted him to become an “Iskolar ng Bayan” in the country’s most prestigious University of the Philippines, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in said school’s Social Sciences Division. As a high school student, he involved himself in extra-curricular activities as sports editor of the Louisian Paper, Captain Ball of the classical Basketball Team, (four years as champions of the intramurals from 1965-1969), Color Officer of the Military Training, a poet, a singer and an actor to name a few;

As a college student, he was honored as Outstanding Student of Baguio for the year 1974, awarded a plaque of recognition on June 12, 1974, Independence Day Program, by then Mayor Luis Lardizabal and Chairman Olga Brady of the Baguio Board of Search for Outstanding Students and Youth Leaders of Baguio; Outstanding Freshmen Student in 1969 awarded by then Dean Dionisia Rola; a Student Assistant in the sports department of the University of the Philippines Baguio as Varsity Coach of both Volleyball and Basketball Teams; appointed as Social and Sports Coordinator of the University of the Philippines Baguio in 1972, when Martial Law was declared and all Student Councils were suspended; a delegate to the World Youth Conference in 1974; a community organizer who took his training in that field in the Kaunlaran Cnter under Sis. Lydia Kalaw and the late Jaime Cardinal Sin; served the Diocesan Adult Training Center as Community Organizer under Sis. Mary Ann Smith of Maryknoll and the late Parish Priest of Baguio Fr. Rafael Desmedt; he coordinated the YCAP program in the University of the Philippines Baguio and spearheaded the development of the multi-purpose open sports court, which up to now is being used by the students of the same institution; he organized the skit night, which raised funds for the Students Center of the University of the Philippines Baguio and many more accomplishments, formed the University of the Philippines Baguio Alumni Association, Acting President and now the Vice President of the same.

After graduating from College, he was into public service jobs, occupying sensitive positions in the human settlements offices until 1986, and landed a job at City Hall, first as a contractual employee, slowly making it through the ranks until he became Division Head in probably the busiest office in City Hall – the Tourism and Special Events Division under the City Administrator’s Office and soon took on a higher responsibility as the Officer-in-charge of the City Administrator’s Office. Along side his busy timetable, he organized the Baguio Tourism Council, a nonstock non-profit organization composed of different sectors in the Tourism Industry, where he stands as the Secretary General.

As City Employee, he prepared the following resolutions sponsored by Councilor Elmo Nevada:

• Resolution recognizing the organizations of the Baguio Regreening Movement.
• Resolution supporting the organization of the Baguio Arts Guild.
• Resolution creating the Adopt-a-Park Program.
• Ordinance formulating the Tourism Code and many more;

As a City Employee, he raised the standards of event management such as the celebration of the Baguio Day Program, Beauty Pageants, Arts and Culture Programs. He was a coordinator and action officer of the Panagbenga Festivals, Rizal Day Programs, Grand Cordillera Festivals, Chinese Lunar New Year Programs, Summer Vacation (SUMVAC) Activities, Independence Day Programs, and special mention in the Centennial Celebration of the Philippine Independence Day Program in Baguio; he also organized the Earthquake Relief Center at City Hall together with the former Vice Mayor Antonio Tabora, Jr. and Councilor Daniel Fariñas; Director of the First Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines, Coordinator of the 2003 Advertising Congress of the Philippines held in Baguio City, organized several volunteer groups in providing services in the City of Baguio such as the Campaign Against Mennigococcemia, organization of the TOP-COPS, the Baguio Community of Volunteers, etc.

In every job he carried, he made every effort to bring realization to the vision of a better Baguio, accepting tasks and initiating projects of improvement and development that go far beyond his responsibility and remuneration by sustaining the flame of volunteerism that one would only wish to burn as wild fire in the community of Baguio. Fueled by this vision he pioneered in the creation of some of the most effective volunteer groups operational to this date in fields that go from cleanup drives to agriculture and even administrative work.

Through all those years of struggling to be the best that he can be, he has proven that the best formula to success is reverence to the supreme being by a “credo” that all he does is a continuing prayer, the unfathomable value of education, the principle of caring and the commitment and the passion to be part of the development of the City… and the Country.