SP mourns passing of former Councilor Joshua Alim

Members of the Iloilo City Council mourned the passing of their colleague, former Councilor Joshua Alim who authored some significant ordinances in the metro.

During the regular session of the City Council on Tuesday, the council expressed their condolences through a resolution condoling the family of late Councilor Atty. Joshua Alim. The resolution was approved unanimously.

The sponsor of the resolution was the good friend of Alim in the council, Councilor Ely Estante, who described the late councilor as “leader of men with a big heart and helping hand for the poor and underprivileged.”

Estante also described Alim as a man of many talents: he was a lawyer and law professor, a broadcaster, realtor, Dangal ng Bayan awardee, and President of the Central Philippine University (CPU) Alumni Association.

According to Estante, Alim was an active member of the Iloilo City Council during his six terms.

“We grieve with his untimely demise. As an active member of the Iloilo City Council, he served as leader of many committees. He also authored many landmark ordinances,” he said during the session on Tuesday.

As a distinguished member of the council, Alim authored many landmark ordinances like the “Anti-Smoking Ordinance” in Iloilo City and an ordinance creating the Iloilo City Urban Poor Affairs Office (ICUPAO).

“He authored the ordinance creating the ICUPAO which provided housing to the Iloilo City’s impoverished. He also authored the Anti-Smoking ordinance where Iloilo City became a ‘Smoke-free’ city and received many awards and distinctions,” Estante said.

Alim also served as the Chairman of the Iloilo City Anti-Smoking Task Force (ICAST). During his chairmanship, the task force received three Red Orchid Awards and became a Hall of Famer Award for the anti-tobacco program.

Alim served the Iloilo City Council for six terms from 1998 to 2001, 2001-2004, 2004-2007, 2010-2013, 2013-2016, and 2016-2019. He recently filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) seeking a comeback to the council.

Unfortunately, Alim succumbed to cardiac arrest last Saturday while struggling with a lingering illness. He was 57 years old. (DG)