Mayor Joy Salvame | The Political Conversations with The Mayors • Part 1
01:02.0
Sabi ko nga, looking back, who would have imagined that COVID would happen?
01:07.0
Not only that, Tito Boy, even Taal hit us.
01:11.0
The volcano eruption.
01:12.0
That was really bad.
01:13.0
Let's talk about the Taal volcano eruption.
01:16.0
Anong kwento, Joy?
01:17.0
Actually po, that was 4pm.
01:19.0
The sky was getting dark.
01:22.0
And suddenly, all the mayor's phones rings.
01:25.0
Kapatid, Mayor Joy, we need help.
01:28.0
Lahat ng mayor, tawagan.
01:30.0
Sabi ko, ano nangyayari?
01:31.0
Pumuntok na ang vulkan.
01:32.0
Kailangan natin ang magtulungan.
01:34.0
So, there are private trucks to help me.
01:36.0
Sinundo namin tong mga tao, no?
01:38.0
Alam mo yung idea na they're all full of ashes.
01:44.0
And we need to hose them down to put them in our evacuation centers.
01:50.0
It's just like, it's very touching na talagang wala silang dala.
01:55.0
Because that time, fiesta kunyok nagkakamali.
01:59.0
To the nearby town.
02:00.0
And everybody was preparing for the fiesta for the next day.
02:04.0
So, everybody was out from their houses, helping each other.
02:07.0
Nagtutulungan sila, nagbabayanihan.
02:09.0
Nakumatay na mo, nagluluto.
02:12.0
And then, suddenly, skies get dark, earthquakes hits, and that's it.
02:20.0
That was January.
02:23.0
Then, March came.
02:27.0
Di lang po natapos yung sabi sa Batangas.
02:31.0
I'm in the 4th district.
02:32.0
And we are a swine place, which is the piggery industry.
02:36.0
ASF hits after two months.
02:39.0
It was really devastating for a lot of us.
02:42.0
Pero ito yung mga panahon kung saan lumalabas ang maraming mga leader
02:48.0
in the most challenging times.
02:51.0
Dito, nag-blue bloom.
02:55.0
I mean, historically speaking, ang maraming leaders in the world.
03:01.0
I would say, not leaders.
03:04.0
Lumabas yung puso ng mga tao.
03:06.0
Leaders na may mga puso.
03:07.0
At ang tao na may mga puso.
03:09.0
And we help each other.
03:11.0
Wala nang leader dito, boy.
03:13.0
Ang ano ko lang, kung willing kayo tumulong,
03:16.0
even until alas 3 na madaling araw, gising ako eh.
03:18.0
Nasa opisina na ako, natutulog minsan.
03:20.0
Kasama yung mga staff ko at yung empleyado.
03:21.0
Tapos yung mga volunteers, talagang salitan.
03:25.0
Kasi hindi rin naman kaya.
03:26.0
That was like almost three months until COVID hits.
03:31.0
Talagang tuloy-tuloy.
03:32.0
Kasi yung donors, dire-direcho rin.
03:36.0
So, I would say it's more of yung totoong puso mo.
03:42.0
Yung totoong ikaw na ano ka ba sa komunidad mo?
03:48.0
Ano ang takeaway mo?
03:50.0
Ano ang learnings mo from the COVID,
03:53.0
from the Taal experience?
03:56.0
Now looking back, when you think about it,
03:59.0
what did you learn?
04:01.0
That you can't stop learning.
04:03.0
Keep on asking, you keep on researching,
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you keep on thinking ahead.
04:09.0
Anticipation, prevention, preparation.
04:14.0
Yun po yung natutunan ko.
04:16.0
Hopefully, the pandemic is over.
04:18.0
Kumusta ang ibaan?
04:20.0
Malaki pong pinagbago ng ibaan.
04:23.0
We had our infrastructure.
04:25.0
Meron na po kaming bagong palengke,
04:27.0
which is the public market mall.
04:28.0
Not only a palengke-palengke,
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it's an economic enterprise.
04:32.0
We have ongoing po ang aming bagong munisipyo.
04:36.0
We're going to have our sports complex
04:38.0
with cultural center.
04:40.0
So, it was a big attempt,
04:43.0
pero it was ongoing po lahat, awa ng Diyos.
04:46.0
Tapos, one of the things siguro din po,
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going back to your question,
04:50.0
ngayon ko lang na-realize,
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siguro po din naniwala yung tao sa akin,
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kasi there was a, I call it a promise bridge.
04:56.0
Ako sa akin ngayon po,
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I call it a promise bridge.
04:58.0
Because everyone promised it
05:00.0
that it will be built
05:01.0
from the time it was washed away.
05:04.0
nakaparo na bagyo, inanod siya.
05:06.0
So, sa 3 barangay, outside,
05:08.0
may ilog po kaming malaki,
05:10.0
which is the Katandala Bridge.
05:12.0
And now, I would say,
05:14.0
I'm proud to say,
05:15.0
meron na po siyang foundation
05:18.0
and ongoing po project
05:20.0
and it should be done by 2024.
05:22.0
It will cut the trip from Manila to Lobo,
05:26.0
like 30 minutes more or less.
05:28.0
And the promise is finally fulfilled.
05:30.0
The promise is finally fulfilled.
05:32.0
You are on your second term
05:33.0
as mayor of Ibaan.
05:39.0
I started balancing my time.
05:43.0
minsan, sa buhay,
05:47.0
kailangan mo rin bigyan ng oras
05:50.0
in order to be renewed and reborn.
05:52.0
Kasi, when you sucked up too much,
05:56.0
either people start not to understand you,
05:59.0
and that sometimes
06:01.0
would put you in a line
06:04.0
am I still doing the right thing?
06:08.0
And you start to think a lot of things.
06:10.0
In my experience,
06:11.0
No, I appreciate the concept.
06:12.0
Kasi, ako simple lang,
06:14.0
habang pinakikinggan kita,
06:15.0
I have to take good care of myself
06:17.0
because paano ko aalagaan
06:19.0
ng aking mga constituents
06:22.0
kung hindi ako malusog?
06:24.0
But again, the keyword is balance.
06:28.0
Because it's not your money.
06:29.0
It is not your money.
06:31.0
As long as the interest of the people
06:33.0
is more than your interest,
06:36.0
And if it's equal,
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then you're okay.
06:38.0
But if it's more,
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yung interest mo than the people,
06:42.0
and using that money,
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then that's something's wrong.
06:45.0
Doon sa ground ng politika,
06:51.0
how bad is corruption?
06:53.0
I'm not talking about ibaan.
06:55.0
I'm talking about corruption as a reality.
07:00.0
I guess it's still there.
07:01.0
It's still there?
07:03.0
Siguro po ang difference lang is,
07:05.0
siguro po yung mga bagong mayor,
07:07.0
yung tao na naglagay ng bagong concept nila
07:10.0
na subukumbok naman tayo ng iba,
07:13.0
siguro ito yung gumigising na.
07:15.0
May konting naman po.
07:18.0
Kaya lang kasi minsan,
07:19.0
kung ano yung status natin ngayon,
07:23.0
it depends din sa bigger anchor,
07:29.0
kami ng lokal po,
07:32.0
mga less affected lang kami ng resulta
07:35.0
ng kung ano po ang meron.
07:37.0
Bukod sa corruption na pwedeng manggaling
07:39.0
sa sarili mong dugad.
07:41.0
But sometimes it's more of because
07:45.0
you are the result or the effect
07:49.0
of a bigger picture.
07:51.0
Gaano ka kadalas umikot sa ibaan ngayon?
07:53.0
Ngayon, what we did is,
07:55.0
may season naman talaga kami
07:56.0
na bumababa sa barangay.
07:59.0
We give free services.
08:00.0
Right now, ang request sa amin is
08:02.0
free eye check-up and eye glasses.
08:04.0
Yung grade talaga.
08:08.0
So, bumababa po talaga.
08:09.0
Kinakamusin ko ang tao.
08:11.0
Kinakamusin ko kung yung pakiramdam ko,
08:13.0
gusto pa ba nila to?
08:16.0
Kasi, honestly, I don't know.
08:18.0
I got the numbers.
08:20.0
Pero iba yung nakikita,
08:21.0
iba yung naririnig mo.
08:22.0
Iba po yung nararamdaman mo.
08:24.0
Pero let's talk about the problem of poverty.
08:26.0
Anong punot dulo at ano ang solusyon sa ibaan?
08:30.0
Siguro po yung una yung napansin ko is
08:32.0
yung proper system muna ng
08:34.0
lokal na pamalan kung paano mo talaga
08:36.0
i-assist yung tao.
08:37.0
Bukod sa talagang ayaw lang,
08:41.0
Second talaga yung,
08:42.0
hanap buhay talaga dito.
08:44.0
Hindi kaya ng lokal na siya lang yung
08:47.0
mandigaw ng investors.
08:50.0
We need the help of the national
08:52.0
in a way that they can do.
08:54.0
Are you getting that from the national government today?
08:58.0
Because, like us,
09:00.0
we are on a agriculture base.
09:02.0
So ako yung gateway.
09:03.0
So what I was proposing is
09:06.0
we need a parang quarantine area.
09:10.0
Sa atin, wala tayong quarantine area.
09:12.0
Doon sa livestock na nangyari sa amin,
09:14.0
yung sa swine, and even sa poultry.
09:16.0
So, imagine that.
09:17.0
So, babalik tayo sa issue ng food security.
09:19.0
This is getting broader.
09:22.0
Yung nangyari sa atin ng COVID.
09:25.0
Mahal ang inputs.
09:27.0
Anong gagawin natin?
09:29.0
Hindi ko naman kaya ito bilang lokal na pamalan.
09:31.0
Pag mag-offer ka sa national,
09:33.0
limitado rin yung program nila.
09:38.0
doon lalabas yung sinasabi mong galing.
09:42.0
At saka diskarte mo.
09:43.0
Doon ka didiskarte kung paano ka iikot
09:46.0
from what you have.
09:49.0
I'm not saying that they're refusing us,
09:50.0
but what I'm saying is,
09:52.0
probably, I guess,
09:53.0
if they really wanted to change,
09:54.0
they have to listen to the real ones na talagang nandun.
10:02.0
Second term, as mayor,
10:06.0
nabago ba ang iyong pananaw
10:08.0
sa politika dito sa Pilipinas?
10:13.0
Are you more realistic now?
10:19.0
Nabago siya in a way na
10:21.0
you have to do acceptance
10:23.0
na may bagay kang kailangan tanggapin
10:25.0
na hindi mo kaya.
10:31.0
Because if you don't,
10:33.0
nababaliw ka na lang eh.
10:35.0
Ikaw yung masisira,
10:36.0
ikaw yung magbabago,
10:37.0
ikaw yung mawawala.
10:38.0
This is hypothetical.
10:39.0
Halimbawa, partido mo iba
10:42.0
doon sa partido ng nanalo.
10:46.0
May dynamics siya nakakaiba.
10:48.0
When I was young,
10:50.0
that was very interesting.
10:51.0
When I was young,
10:52.0
I do believe that
10:54.0
dapat lang magpartido,
10:57.0
to do the check and balance.
11:00.0
And then it happened to me.
11:01.0
And what did you discover?
11:03.0
How to be dapat kakampi mo.
11:05.0
Because kakampi mo kasi
11:08.0
parehas kayo ng advocacy,
11:10.0
parehas kayo ng naiintindihan,
11:13.0
parehas kayo ng puso
11:16.0
Hindi dahil kakampi mo lang sa politika.
11:18.0
Siguro that's where the line is drawn.
11:21.0
So my second fight,
11:22.0
I made sure that these people
11:24.0
will be backing me up.
11:26.0
Will be really understanding.
11:30.0
meron po akong isang konsyal
11:31.0
na nag-independent siya.
11:33.0
Pero alam kong naiintindihan niya ako.
11:36.0
hindi ko pinuno yung slot ko.
11:40.0
because I do believe na mananalo siya.
11:43.0
Mananalo sa kabilang batid.
11:45.0
Tito mo, acceptance.
11:46.0
And then, nung ngayon,
11:51.0
we're working together.
11:52.0
I always explain to them,
11:54.0
to the sanggunian before
11:55.0
I tried to push something to them.
11:57.0
And then sabi ko,
11:58.0
ask me questions,
11:59.0
I will answer you as much as I can.
12:01.0
I've been talking to a lot of mayors.
12:04.0
mahalaga naman kami eh.
12:06.0
bumaba ba sa amin
12:07.0
yung mga national candidates.
12:08.0
At sinasabi nila lahat,
12:09.0
natutulungan kami.
12:12.0
Pag mga nanalo na,
12:15.0
I don't care on national
12:17.0
because they have their own fight.
12:18.0
I have my own fight.
12:19.0
I am here for my people.
12:20.0
Sino ang mas nakakatulong kanino
12:24.0
Mas nakakatulong ang lokal
12:25.0
kaysa sa national?
12:27.0
I think that's a reality.
12:31.0
I've been talking to a lot of
12:34.0
kung mapupunta tayo dun sa discussion
12:37.0
saan ka mas pabor?
12:38.0
Sa two-party system
12:39.0
o sa multi-party system?
12:42.0
what I experience
12:43.0
with some limitations
12:47.0
two-party system.
12:51.0
it helps kahit papano.
12:54.0
when magkakahiwalay kayo
12:56.0
and you have your own advocacy
12:58.0
in your own party,
12:59.0
your own interest,
13:00.0
it's highly impossible.
13:02.0
You don't have the interest
13:04.0
It starts to box out.
13:06.0
At saka sana lang,
13:07.0
klaro ang idolohiya.
13:09.0
Ito ang pinaninindigan
13:10.0
ng partidong ito.
13:11.0
Ito ang pinaninindigan
13:12.0
ng partidong ito.
13:14.0
nakawan lang naman.
13:15.0
Para isa lang talaga
13:16.0
ang pinag-uusapan natin.
13:17.0
Hindi ko naman sinasabi,
13:20.0
American politics.
13:21.0
Pero pag sinabi mong
13:23.0
alam mo ang tindig.
13:24.0
Pag sinabi mong Republican,
13:25.0
alam mo ang tindig.
13:27.0
I don't know how true
13:30.0
Pero napansin ko lang,
13:31.0
syempre kapag kapartido mo,
13:32.0
wala na masyadong bureaucracy
13:35.0
Kung mag-bargain man kayo,
13:39.0
Parang alam mo naman
13:40.0
na ito yung nilalaban natin noon.
13:42.0
Bakit mo ngayon haharangan?
13:43.0
So that's one that you could
13:46.0
Ang nanonotice ko rin
13:47.0
dito sa Pilipinas,
13:48.0
and this is a personal observation,
13:51.0
pagkatapos ang eleksyon,
13:52.0
naglilipatan lahat
13:55.0
sa partido ng mayorya.
13:57.0
What does it say to you?
14:00.0
I would disagree with that one.
14:04.0
Not all locals would definitely
14:08.0
Pero ibig sabihin na
14:09.0
ang daming mga politiko
14:10.0
Majority of the locals dito,
14:12.0
Pero siguro sa national probably.
14:14.0
But sa local, kasi iba eh.
14:17.0
May mga local parties nga eh,
14:20.0
So yung prinsipyo nila,
14:21.0
ito, ito talaga kami.
14:24.0
Kaya palang maraming
14:26.0
Ito ang supporter namin.
14:28.0
So pag lumipat kami sa inyo,
14:30.0
sa sama loob namin,
14:35.0
sa nakita ko sa lokal.
14:38.0
So pag halimbawa,
14:39.0
mayor, konsejal ka
14:41.0
nasyonalista party ka,
14:43.0
ang tendency ng local
14:44.0
is to really stay
14:47.0
Your local party.
14:50.0
Not a national party.
14:51.0
Because national party
14:52.0
doesn't affect you that much.
14:53.0
I moderated a symposium
14:56.0
which was sponsored
14:57.0
by an NGO in Singapore.
14:59.0
At napagusapan nga namin
15:00.0
yung polarization,
15:02.0
yung paghihiwa-hiwalay,
15:04.0
na sinabi nung isang analyst
15:07.0
na kami din polarized kami.
15:10.0
Pero benign ang salitang ginamit.
15:13.0
Hindi kami nagpapatayan.
15:15.0
Ibang aming ibinoboto.
15:17.0
But after the elections,
15:20.0
predatory ang ginamit.
15:23.0
magkapitbahay tayo,
15:24.0
tapos na ang eleksyon
15:25.0
pero hindi pa rin tayo naguusap.
15:28.0
pinaka best example lang dito po
15:30.0
is barangay elections.
15:34.0
Talagang kahit ako bilang isang mayor,
15:39.0
kahit ako minsan,
15:42.0
because maapektuhan ka
15:44.0
kasi ang away nila personal.
15:47.0
So, I would agree to that.
15:52.0
Gaano kahalaga ang suporta
15:54.0
ng barangay captain
15:56.0
sa in-eupolitically?
16:01.0
Kasi kapag kalaban mo
16:02.0
ang isang nakupo,
16:04.0
he could do anything
16:06.0
that could harm you
16:08.0
It might be small or big.
16:11.0
Pero yan yung isang bagay
16:13.0
na nanggaling kasi ako
16:14.0
tito bayo dyan eh.
16:15.0
But do you believe?
16:16.0
Lumabar na ako sabi ko
16:17.0
kasi hindi ko alam
16:18.0
kung yung pumasok na yung sa isip ko
16:19.0
nung binalikan ko.
16:20.0
Wala naman akong kampang kapitan eh.
16:22.0
I started with seven.
16:24.0
We are 26 barangays.
16:26.0
With seven kapitans
16:32.0
Twenty-six o nineteen kanya.
16:35.0
So, nag-transition.
16:36.0
May in-endorse siya.
16:42.0
Anong sikreto dun?
16:45.0
As in mano a mano talaga?
16:49.0
That's when it becomes difficult.
16:51.0
Probably that's where it evolved.
16:53.0
The people starting losing trust.
16:57.0
That's why you have to make sure
17:02.0
itong mga kababayan mo,
17:05.0
May mga panahon joy na
17:08.0
and you're thinking about
17:10.0
everything that's happening in your life.
17:12.0
You're thinking about ibaan.
17:14.0
And you have your moments of wise.
17:17.0
bakit ako nandito?
17:18.0
Bakit ko ito ginagawa?
17:21.0
moments of reflection na ganyan?
17:24.0
Nagdaringan ko rin
17:25.0
at bakit mo kailangan mag-stay?
17:28.0
Ano ang kasagutan?
17:30.0
Tumayo ako sa ibaan.
17:41.0
Kailangan ko panindigan.
17:42.0
That was the time.
17:45.0
Inoffer ko ang buhay ko.
17:47.0
I'm not from ibaan.
17:49.0
I don't have friends.
17:50.0
I don't have family.
17:52.0
when I started politics
17:56.0
I ran for vice mayor 2016.
17:58.0
I got plucked in 2019.
18:01.0
This is my second term until now.
18:06.0
huling katanungan.
18:13.0
and good health for my family.
18:16.0
hindi po ako kainin
18:20.0
I always have this heart.
18:22.0
Nakayanin ko yung
18:24.0
dapat kong gawin.
18:28.0
pumasok sa bulok na sewa.
18:30.0
Huwag sana akong ma-push.
18:33.0
I have the resistance
18:35.0
as much as possible,
18:42.0
I'm really wishing na,
18:46.0
nag-wish ng grand
18:47.0
na maging sobrang
18:50.0
na maging sikat siya.
18:54.0
magkaroon ng investor,
18:56.0
magkaroon ng hanap buhay,
18:58.0
mamenting po lang yung
19:03.0
I'm not saying that I could
19:04.0
perfectly do it well.
19:06.0
As much as I could do,
19:07.0
it's the majority I could please.
19:11.0
It's a community for now.
19:13.0
hindi pa rin po kami talagang
19:14.0
sasabihin mong problemadong bayan.
19:17.0
I wish you success.
19:18.0
Thank you po, Tito.
19:20.0
I wish you success, Joy.
19:22.0
At maraming salamat
19:23.0
sa kwentuhang ito.
19:25.0
I will see you again.
