Former Bacolod Councilor Greg Gasataya was nominated by the Nationalist People’s Coalition as the party’s official candidate for vice mayor of Bacolod City in the 2013 elections.

Gasataya, 41, is a three-termer councilor, a holder of a Masters degree in Public Management from the Sultan Kudarat State University and a B.A. Communication Arts graduate of the Philippine Women’s University. He was also a B.A. Political Science student at the University of the Philippines - Diliman, was former director of Bacolod City Water District, and former anchorman of Bombo Radyo Bacolod.

He was number one Bacolod councilor during his second and third terms.

Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia, Bacolod district chairman, yesterday said they received the nomination of Gasataya signed by NPC president Frisco San Juan yesterday morning.

“This is what we have long waited for,” he said, after they went through a long process of evaluating and at the same time agonizing in the selection process as to who should be the candidate for vice mayor of the NPC in Bacolod, since they are faced with the reality that they can only choose one from among the qualified choices.

Leonardia said they are aware that many in their group have the capability to win, as well as the eligibility and track record for the position.

But when they were nearing the selection process, they decided to consult the NPC hierarchy and they are grateful for their help in finding a candidate out of the nine names they submitted, he said.

The NPC officials involved in the evaluation and selection were chairman Gov. Faustino Dy, San Juan, secretary general Leandro Mendoza and Rep. Henry Cojuangco (Tarlac, 1st District), the brother of NPC chairman emeritus Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco.

Leonardia said he believes these officials have the welfare and best interest of the local party in mind. All the names they submitted could be positive contributors but then, somehow, a decision has to be made, and they decided to accept the wisdom of the national hierarchy, he said.

Leonardia said Gasataya was his partner in the implementation of free miscellaneous fees, and the distribution of school bags started during his time. The construction of the Sanitary Landfill is another contribution of Gasataya, he said.

So the team of Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson and Gasataya will be very positive for Bacolod, and considering that the city is surging ahead, especially so with the recent reaffirmation that it is again a finalist in the Most Business-Friendly City, awards of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Leonardia said.

“We cannot afford to have the growth and development of Bacolod stagnate or regress. We need to pursue this and even push Bacolod further to reach unprecedented heights,” he said.

Sayson, who welcomed the nomination of Gasataya, said they have been together in the past nine years when they started out as councilors and even when he became the vice mayor.

“I believe in his leadership and his capability as vice mayor. He could solidify the Sangguniang Panlungsod, and likewise provide administrative leadership in the Council,” he said.

Sayson said he hopes that , with Gasataya, they could maintain the status of the City Council as the “Best Performing City Council in the Philippines.” He said he had been praying that the choice will be from the people within the team, he said.

He added that Gasataya is one of those very much involved in Grupo Progreso activities and was instrumental in the various major projects and programs of the city.

Leonardia said Gasataya is humble and hard working and he believes has a bright future.

Despite being number one, Gasataya has always been a team player and they saw the efficiency of the SP with the teamwork of Sayson and Gasataya, he said.

“That is the kind of teamwork we would like to see working in Bacolod once they become the mayor and vice mayor, respectively. This is a tried and tested team and I am sure our people will gift them for what they have done,” Leonardia added

Gasataya thanked the NPC for choosing him as their official candidate for Vice Mayor for Bacolod. He said he will use this privilege as an instrument to help his fellow Bacolodnons especially those who are in a similar situation as his.

He recalled that it had been his dream to become vice mayor after he finished his term as councilor. But he never pushed his plan to run for the post as he gave the party the leeway to choose Sayson.

Gasataya said this is quite a big sacrifice on his part as he has been living a private life in the past two years. "But who am I to refuse this rare privilege? And who am I to reject the opportunity to serve again my fellow Bacolodnons?" He asked.

If elected, he plans to give more focus on education, he said. When he chaired the Committee on Education, they were able to help thousands of students get scholarships and complete their college education, he added.

Councilor Al Victor Espino said he has accepted the decision of the party, so long as they did not choose someone outside their group, referring to former vice mayor Renecito Novero

Espino, who is a graduating councilor, said he is leaving Bacolod after serving it for 12 years, with P300 million plus given to the city by way of the Revenue Code and this will bolster the financial status and capacity of the city.*CGS

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