Bataan makes a mark in Philippine politics

BAGAC, Bataan – Residents here go out from their homes to see the winning candidates wave to the crowd from their flashy and colorful vehicles draped with tarpaulins with words of gratitude.

One of them is incoming municipal mayor Louise Gabriel “Gab” Del Rosario, the 21-year-old youngest mayor in the country elected in the recently concluded local elections here.

Gab is the son of this town’s outgoing mayor Ramil Del Rosario and was the former national president of the national federation of sangguniang kabataan and ex-officio member of the Bataan provincial board.

“Gusto kong maging inspirasyon ako sa mga kabataan sa tagumpay ko bilang nanalong mayor at the age of 21,” Del Rosario told 1Bataan.com.

In Orani town, Geraldine Roman, the transgender daughter of outgoing Congresswoman Herminia Roman and the late Cong. Tony Roman won a landslide victory over her opponent from Hermosa town. She was proclaimed by the COMELEC as the incoming representative of Bataan’s first district.

Roman is the first transgender elected in Philippine congress and the highest ranking open LGBT politician in the country. Roman said she will focus on bills about anti discrimination, government transparency and education.