BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya (PIA) - - Novo Vizcayanos from all walks of life are in mourning following the untimely death of Governor Carlos Mapili Padilla, the longest - ever serving, highly respected and admired political leader in the province.
Dr. Anthony Cortez, Provincial Integrated Health Officer, said Padilla succumbed to Acute Myocardial Infarction on May 5 at their house in barangay Quirino in Solano town.
“He died at 9:10 A.M. on his bed without signs of struggle or distress,” Cortez said as supporters, friends and employees of the provincial government, national government agencies and the private sector flocked at their house to show and express their sympathy and final respects.
Padilla left behond his wife Ruth, former governor and president of the Nueva Vizcaya State University (NVSU) and children Jojo, Ruthie Maye and Carlo Paulo.
Sympathies and statements of support from friends and fellow political leaders in the country poured through various social media platforms.
The Philippine Flag at the provincial capitol is on half mast with the passing of Governor Padilla.
Governor Carlos, known by his friends and supporters as ‘Caloy', started his political career as the youngest Municipal Mayor of then Dupax town and spent most of his work in Congress, serving as Deputy Speaker and Minority Leader.
He served as member of the Commission on Appointments (CA), House of Representative Electoral Tribunal (HRET) and Co-Chairperson of the Educational Development Commission (EDCom).
Padilla authored RA 6655 or the Free Public Secondary Education in the Philippines, RA 6728 or Private Education Student Financial Assistance Scholarship, Educational Service Contracting (ESC) Program, creation of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF).
His other bills in Congress paved the way for the establishment of 45 elementary and secondary schools in the province including the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) - Cagayan Valley Campus, the merging of the Nueva Vizcaya State University (NVSU) in Bambang town and the Nueva Vizcaya State Institute of Technology (NVSIT) in Bayombong as NVSU and on the development of access roads and bridges in the remote and upland communities in Nueva Vizcaya to bring education closer to the Indigenous Peoples (IPs).
“ I am happy to see that what I have started in Congress are now benefiting our IPs in our upland communities and Novo Vizcayanos in general. Investing in education is always one of the best initiatives to bring about the general development and progress of our province,” he once said as one of his development advocacy.
Touted as the ‘Legend of the North’, Governor ‘Caloy’ is currently serving his third term as Chief Executive of the province.
Incumbent Vice Governor Jose Valeriano Gambito was sworn in yesterday afternoon as Governor of Nueva Vizcaya by Law of Succession along with Board Member Eufemia Ang Dacayo as Vice Governor.
They took their Oath of Office before Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Paul Atolba at the provincial capitol building.
Officials said Gambito and Dacayo’s oath taking as Governor and Vice Governor respectively was not done hastily but to maintain and sustain the daily operations and services of the provincial government for Novo Vizcayanos. (MDCT/BME/PIA Nueva Vizcaya)
