I AM A VICE MAYOR AND MY COVENANT WITH MY PEOPLE IS TO DEVOTE MYSELF TO PUBLIC SERVICE.
BY DIVINE PROVIDENCE AND BY THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE, I AM MANDATED TO PRESIDE OVER THE LOCAL LEGISLATURE. THAT WITH INTEGRITY AND STATESMANSHIP, I SHALL LEAD THE LOCAL LEGISLATURE TO ENACT MEASURES AND ORDINANCES FOR THE COMMON GOOD AND FULFILL MY PEOPLE’S ASPIRATIONS FOR HAPPINESS, PEACE AND PROSPERITY.
MAY THE ALMIGHTY GOD HELP ME CONSECRATE MYSELF FOR THE PEOPLE I AM CALLED TO SERVE.
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THE CITY VICE-MAYOR
Honorable FIDEL VILCHES ANACTA, JR. Current Term: 2013 - Present First Term: 2010 - 2013
FAMILY, EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE
Pangka, as he is fondly called by family and friends, was born to Fidel Enrique Anacta, Sr. of Borongan, Eastern Samar and Paz Ignacio Vilches of Almagro, Samar on June 24, 1948 at Oras, Eastern Samar.
He is the second son and the third among four children. His siblings are Paz Letecia, a doctor by profession; Nilo, a retired Accountant of the local district office of the Department of Public Works and Highways; and Natividad, presently working as a teacher.
His father, Fidel Sr. retired as a Superintendent of the Department of Education before becoming the first elected Mayor of Borongan, Eastern Samar after the EDSA People Power Revolution. Fidel Sr. did not finish his term when he met an accident while on his way to Manila to follow up funding for the construction of a new Municipal Hall after the old building was razed by fire in 1988. His mother, a retired teacher, died in 2013.
He is married to Lydia Aboy Lopez and they have three children, Anna Katrina, Fidel III and Dominique.
He finished his elementary education from the Borongan Pilot Elementary School, now Eugenio S. Daza Pilot Elementary School, in 1960, completed his secondary education from the St. Joseph’s College, now St. Mary’s College, in 1964, and graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Commerce, Major in Banking and Finance and Marketing from the Far Eastern University [FEU] in 1970.
He worked at the Philippine National Bank [PNB] from 1974 to 1995 which was then a government institution.
In 1995 he resigned from the PNB and ran for the first time as Municipal Vice-Mayor of Borongan, Eastern Samar. He won and served until 1998. He ran for Municipal Mayor in 1998 but lost to the incumbent Municipal Mayor, Melcho Arago.
In 2001, he ran for Municipal Mayor for the second time, and won against the wife of Mayor Arago who already finished his three terms as Mayor. In 2004, he ran for re-election and won his second term as Municipal Mayor. In 2007, he ran for the third time and won to complete his three terms as mayor of Borongan.
In 2010, after completing his three terms as Mayor, he filed his candidacy for the position of City Vice-Mayor. He won and was re-elected in 2013.
In October 2015, he filed his candidacy for his third term as City Vice-Mayor in the 2016 elections.
AS MUNICIPAL MAYOR [2001 – 2007]
During his term as Municipal Mayor, the Benowangan National High School was established to cater to the needs of high school students of the northern Panalugon River barangays such as Barangays Pinanag-an, Baras, Benowangan, Hebacong and Canyopay. Various water systems were also constructed to provide potable water to constituents in various barangays. New bridges, road openings and school buildings were also constructed under different national and local funding. Together with the Borongan Water District, the local water system was also improved and upgraded to cater to a growing clientele.
It was also during this time that the Padul-ong Festival was given more focus, various tourism related activities supported and the first mall, the Uptown Mall at Brgy Songco [2006], in Samar Island was constructed, .
Before his second term as Municipal Mayor ended in 2007, Republic Act 9394 or the Charter of the City of Borongan was passed by the Senate and House of Representatives on February 5, 2007. It lapsed into law on March 16, 2007 without the signature of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. On June 20, 2007, ten [10] days before the start of the 2007-2010 term of local officials, a plebiscite was held for the confirmation of the Charter of the City of Borongan by the Boronganons and the YES vote won which signalled the conversion of the Municipality of Borongan into the City of Borongan.
Thus, Mayor Pangka ran for his third term as Municipal Mayor during the May 2007 elections but took his oath of office as the first City Mayor of Borongan midday of June 30, 2007.
AS CITY MAYOR [2007 – 2010]
As the first City Mayor of the City of Borongan, Mayor Pangka’s term witnessed the see-sawing of the status of Borongan, and some other cities that were created on that same February 5, 2007 date, from City reverting back to being a mere Municipality and then being granted back its cityhood.
During this term, the Supt. Fidel E. Anacta, Sr. Memorial High School, located in Brgy. San Jose, Borongan, Eastern Samar, which has been named after his late father, was established to serve the high school students of the western interior barangays of the City such as Barangays San Gabriel, San Jose and others. Another high school was initiated at Brgy. Calingatngan, the Calingatngan National High School, to serve the students of Barangays Calingatngan, Surok, San Mateo and San Andres, which lie along the north-western interior barangays of the city. Thus at the close of his full three-term as Mayor, all the major areas of the City had a high school to serve its secondary school students [with the Eastern Samar National Comprehensive High School in the city proper, Maypangdan National High School and the Santa Fe National High School in the north and Lalawigan National High School in the south].
The Borongan Transport Terminal was finally constructed during this time. The computerization of the financial transactions of the City Government was also initiated during this period. The City Schools Division was separated from the Eastern Samar Division and the City Government started supporting the various activities of the education sector including the holding of the City Meet and the division’s attendance and participation to the EVRAA Meet.
The initial attempts to establish the Borongan Airport was also initiated during this time with the maiden flight taking place on September 1, 2007.
AS CITY VICE-MAYOR [2010 – Present]
During his term as City Vice-Mayor, the Sangguniang Panlungsod passed and approved various ordinances and resolutions aimed at enhancing the delivery of public service and the upliftment of the quality of life of the people of Borongan City. Most important of the measures passed and approved by the city council are those that grant support to livelihood initiatives, agricultural programs, tax amnesty, and others.
It was also during this time that the Supreme Court on their summer session on April 12, 2011 at Baguio City decided with finality that Borongan is legally and constitutionally a city already.
The City Vice-Mayor also focuses on the implementation of the new Strategic Performance Management System [SPMS] program of the Civil Service Commission [CSC] to enhance the quality of public service and provide fair and just performance-based incentives to employees.
He also wants to raise the level of citizen satisfaction by instituting awareness level among the people through the establishment of information dissemination tools such as a website which shall also promote more transparency and accountability and allow people participation in governance.
IMPORTANT DATES DURING ANACTA'S PUBLIC SERVICE
2013 May 13 - won his second term as City Vice-Mayor.
2011 April 12 - the Supreme Court decided with finality that Borongan is constitutionally a City.
2011 February 15 - the Supreme Court reverted to its December 22, 2009 ruling and Borongan regained its Cityhood.
2010 August 24 - the Supreme Court reiterated its November 18, 2008 ruling and Borongan was reverted back to being a municipality.
2010 May 10 - won his first term as City Vice-Mayor.
2009 December 22 - the Supreme Court acted on Borongan's December 10, 2008 motion for reconsideration and decided in favor of Borongan restoring its status of being a City.
2008 November 18 - The Supreme Court upon petition by the League of Cities declared that Borongan did not meet the income requirement to become a City and thus was reverted back to the status of a municipality.
2007 June 30 - Anacta took his oath of office as the First City Mayor of the City of Borongan.
2007 June 20 - the plebiscite to ratify the Charter of the City of Borongan resulted to a win for the YES vote. Mayor Anacta became the first City Mayor.
2007 May 14 - won his third term as Municipal Mayor.
2007 March 16 - the Charter of the City of Borongan lapsed into law without the signature of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
2007 February 5 - RA 9394, Charter of the City of Borongan, was passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives.
2004 May 10 - won his second term as Municipal Mayor.
2001 May 14 - won his first term as Municipal Mayor.
1995 May 8 - won his first elected position as Municipal Vice-Mayor.
Source on the dates of SC decisions regarding Borongan Cityhood is Wikipedia.