Lawmakers from QC and Mindanao lead New Faces of Good Governance

KUDOS!!!
Councilor Mabel Sunga Acosta
First District, Davao City

Close to their first anniversary celebration this July, the Kaya Natin! Movement welcomed four firsts in their group Thursday afternoon. The second “Launching of New Faces of Good Governance and Ethical Leadership” brought together six of the current Kaya Natin leaders to welcome the group’s first legislators to the movement. Kaya Natin is a national movement that was initially convened by the Ateneo School of Government (ASOG).

Councilors Bolet Banal of Quezon City and Mabel Sunga Acosta of Davao City, Congressman TG Guingona of Bukidnon, and former congressman Neric Acosta, also from Bukidnon, were inaugurated last Thursday as Kaya Natin’s newest “Champions of Good Governance,” government leaders who espouse effective, ethical, empowering leadership.

The launch marked the first time that the movement espousing good governance has selected legislators to be Champions. Before yesterday, Kaya Natin had twelve Champions, all local chief executives from provinces in Luzon and Visayas.

Besides being the first lawmakers, the four newest leaders also have the distinction of being the first representatives from their region. Banal is the first Champion from Metro Manila, while Acosta, Guingona, and Sunga Acosta all hail from Mindanao.

“It is definitely good that we have these inspiring leaders from Metro Manila and Mindanao be a part of Kaya Natin. We hope that they will serve as an inspiration to many Filipinos that there is indeed much to hope for in our country despite all the negative news about our present administration that people hear about.” Harvey Keh of the ASOG and lead convenor of the group, said of the four.

Kaya Natin Co-Founder and Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio agrees. “This just goes to show that there are indeed many good people in our government, whether in the executive or legislative branch,” he commented.

The four new Kaya Natin Champions were introduced one by one by the current Champions, former mayors Baby Congco of Cabiao, Nueva Ecija and Mary Jane Ortega of San Fernando, La Union; Mayor Florante Gerdan of Santa Fe, Nueva Vizcaya, and co-founder Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga City. Sunga Acosta, Banal, Guingona, and Acosta were each given a Kaya Natin shirt and baller ID band to welcome them to the group.

“I’ve been a fan of Kaya Natin for a long time,” Banal said in his response. “These people are my idols, and I feel so blessed to be a part of their group now.”

The three other Champions echoed the same sentiment, adding their hopes that the group’s advocacy will continue to grow in all areas of government, including more legislators and more champions from all over the Philippines. After their formal induction, the new champions all signed the KN Covenant of Good Governance pledging to promote transparency, social accountability and effective delivery of basic services to their respective constituents.

With the inauguration of the four lawmakers, Kaya Natin’s Champions of Good Governance now number sixteen, and the movement shows no sign of stopping their search for outstanding, inspiring Filipino leaders. Sonia Lorenzo, also one of the co-founders of the movement and mayor of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, said in her closing statement, “We hope that we continue to build a critical mass of effective, ethical, and empowering leaders who will govern the country in the best way possible.”

For more information about Kaya Natin and its Champions of Good Governance and Ethical Leadership, please visit our website at http://www.kayanatin.com or you can contact us at (02) 4265657.

Source: Kaya Natin!