MANILA, Philippines – When 25-year-old Christian Sorongon announced his plan to run for mayor of New Lucena, he wasn't taken seriously because of his age.
Then there was the fact that he was going up against the husband of incumbent mayor Liecel Mondejar-Seville, whose family has reigned over the Iloilo town for 30 years.
"They said I was too young to be a mayor. No one took me seriously; they laughed at me because I'm contending a political dynasty," Sorongon told Rappler.
But Sorongon, who has already been recognized as one of the Philippines' youngest councilors when he successfully ran for the position in his town at age 19, decided to take on the challenge anyway.
Already a third year law student at the Ateneo de Manila Law School, he took a leave of absence to enter the political scene once more, believing that his experience – and the support of people around him – would be enough to secure him a victory.
"There was a strong clamor of the people for change in New Lucena. The municipality remains the same in terms of development – that's the general feeling of the people. And they saw the catalyst for change in me, because I had been a councilor from 2010 to 2013," he said.
Up against a rival who belongs to a family with political clout, Sorongon said that he was already preparing to lose on election day. In the final stretch of the campaign, he said that he had received reports of rampant vote buying.
"May mga taong sinasabi na na-sway na ang mga tao sa vote buying, that they were not going to vote for me. I was really ready to lose during the last days of campaign. But when the votes were coming in, okay naman. Hindi nasilaw ang mga tao sa pera," he said.
(There were people saying that voters were being swayed due to vote buying, and they were not going to vote for me. I was really ready to lose during the last days of campaign. But when the votes were coming in, it was okay. The people weren't blinded by money.)
The results of the May 9 polls show Sorongon leading with 6,099 votes (54.4%), against rival Ricco Seville's 5,107 votes (45.6%) – a difference of 992 votes.
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For Sorongon, his win did not only mean a new face at the helm of New Lucena. He also considers it a victory for the youth, and hopes that it would inspire other young leaders not to shy away from politics.
"This means that there is also opportunity for young leaders who don't come from political families to become leaders in their own community," he said.
He added: "I know a lot of young leaders losing hope for their country. I'm not from a political family...but because the people saw my performance, my character, they thought, it's possible for an ordinary leader from an ordinary family to lead a town."
Participatory governance
Explaining his reasons for running for mayor, Sorongon said he became frustrated seeing how New Lucena seemed to lag behind other neighboring towns even after 30 years of the Mondejars' rule, citing the lack of sufficient infrastructure in the town.
Sorongon described the previous administration's rule as an "iron-rule" type of leadership. But under his term, he vowed to institute a participatory form of governance that would include all sectors of society as stakeholders in government projects.
"For 30 years, ang style ng mga Mondejar ay kamal na bakal. Our call is for participatory governance. We're going to consult all barangays, all sectors, for our programs or projects. Hindi lang nagdidikta 'yung public officials sa mga tao," he said.
(For 30 years, the Mondejar style was to rule with an iron fist. Our call is for participatory governance. We're going to consult barangays, all sectors, for our programs or projects. It's not just the public officials dictating on the people.)
Even with this message, Sorongon said the road to victory was not smooth sailing. He said he had been the subject of dirty tactics, with fake social media accounts cropping up to bully him online, raising controversy over his sexuality and alleging that he lost a lot of weight because of a supposed illness.
He also faced the challenge of convincing people that despite his relative youth, he had what it takes to lead the town.
"When I campaigned, I told people that Ninoy Aquino became mayor at 22, Jose Rizal finished the Noli Me Tangere at 26, Gregorio del Pilar was a general at 24. So those instances, I cite, so I can be able to ensure that even though I'm young, I would be able to perform," he said.
Sorongon added: "In my case, I was a former councilor at 19, and I was able to pass several ordinances. So my approach is more on my experience, to gain their respect."
It was also the youth who helped Sorongon's campaign, helping convince their elders that the young candidate could help bring about change.
"I had a house-to-house campaign. Sinamahan talaga ako ng kabataan (Youth volunteers accompanied me). They were the ones introducing me to their parents. Even the high school students who couldn't vote yet, they were campaigning for me," he said.
Now that the fight is over, Sorongon said he is preparing to buckle down to work. His main priorities are improving infrastructure and focusing on health and education, but he plans to make sure that all sectors are involved in finding solutions.
"My plan in the first 30 to 60 days is to go back to all barangays, and list down their concerns. So it's more on participatory governance. We will consult them," he said. – Rappler.com