Newbie politician is new Liga ng mga Barangay prexy

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor 

A young and novice politician is the newly-elected president of the Liga ng mga Barangay for the province of Iloilo.

Amalia Victoria Debuque, 26 years old, from Anilao town, was elected unopposed during the provincial federation elections on Friday, January 12.

“I am really blessed and happy because out of the 43 municipalities, we are unopposed, and it only shows that the province of Iloilo is united,” Amalia told Daily Guardian.

Out of the 43 local government units in the province, 41 participated in the election, and Amalia received 40 votes for the position of president.

Amalia is the sibling of Anilao Mayor Lee Ann Debuque and the second among the three children of Anilao Vice Mayor Matett Debuque.

As the new president, Amalia will be an ex-officio member of the Iloilo Provincial Council (Sangguniang Panlungsod) and will serve as the chairman of the Committee on Barangay Affairs. She succeeds Dorothy Paez of Dumangas town.

The newly-elected Liga ng mga Barangay president emphasized that one of her focuses is to prioritize the capacity building of the barangay captains, considering that the work demands extensive paperwork.

“The responsibilities of our barangay captains demand substantial support from the local government, provincial government, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government,” she said.

“I want to focus on this to ensure that the leaders of our barangays are adequately prepared for these tasks,” she added.

Amalia graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Asia and the Pacific.

As a newcomer to politics, Amalia expressed her openness to the challenges ahead.

“Given that this is my first time, I am open to the challenge that has been given to me. It’s not going to be easy, but with the support of my family, my barangay, and my municipality, I am confident that I can fulfill my role,” she said.

The complete list of officers for the Liga ng mga Barangay provincial federation is as follows:

President: Amalia Victoria Debuque (Anilao)

Vice President: Nilo Delos Santos (Sara)

Auditor: Melanie Tacsagon (Tubungan)

Board of Directors:

• Sebastian Salcedo (Alimodian)
• Rowena Grace Bensurto (Carles)
• Delfin Gregorio (Concepcion)
• Ferdinand Esmejarda (Igbaras)
• Manuel Moley Locsin (Janiuay)
• Felipe Allaga (Mina)
• Al Joy Payas (Passi City)
• Michael Salaveria (San Miguel)

All the newly-elected officials were unopposed during the elections.