23 Newly Elected Mayors in P’nan

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – The May 9, 2022 general election in the Philippines saw twenty-three newly elected mayors in the forty - four towns and four cities’ Pangasinan.

These newly minted chief executives are exiting congressman, former mayor, vice mayor, members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (provincial legislature) and Sangguniang Bayan (town legislature), spouses, parent, son, and siblings of the exiting mayor.

NEW HIZZONERS. Some of the nineteen newly elected mayors of the colossal province’s Pangasinan. From L-to-R and clockwise: Bayambang Mayor-elect Niña Jose-Quiambao, Manaoag Mayor-elect Doc Ming Rosario, Calasiao Mayor-elect Maya Caramat, and Mangaldan Mayor-elect Bona Parayno.

According to the unofficial but 100% tabulation of Halalan 2022 of ABS-CBN the following towns and city with new chief executives are:

1) Aguilar: Mayor-elect Kristal Soriano (API) got 13,399 votes and defeated Vil Sagles (NUP) in a competitive race – Sagles is the wife of the sitting but exiting mayor - who settled with 12,143 votes.

2) Bani: Mayor-elect Boying Palofox (NP) garnered 15,582 votes and trounced JP Navarro (API) who got 9,015 votes. Palofox’s daughter Gwen – the incumbent almost nine years’ mayor slide-down to the vice mayoralty. She won too the electoral derby.

3) Bautista. Mayor-elect Joseph Espino (API) with 11,586 votes trounced Eduardo Ong (NPC) who got 11, 435 votes.

4) Bayambang: Mayor-elect Niña Jose-Quiambao (NP) who got 41,685 votes and routed former Mayor Ric Camacho who settled with 27,373 votes. The Mayor-elect spouse is the incumbent billionaire- mayor who is considered the Who’s and Who of Pangasinan’s politics.

5) Binalonan: Mayor –elect Ramon Ronald Guico, IV (LAKAS) got 20,081 votes and defeated his first cousin Ryan Gotoc (API) who got 9,213 votes. Guico’s father and older brother are 5th District Congressman-elect Monching Guico and Governor –elect Monmon Guico.

6) Binmaley: Mayor-elect Pedro Merrera (PPM) garnered 24,379 votes against Jonas Rosario (PDP-LBN) – the son of the exiting mayor – who got 18,658 votes.

7) Burgos: Mayor-elect Allan Valenzuela (API) with 5,991 votes where he decked out Ronald Ngawan (NP) who got 5,606 votes.

8) Calasiao: Mayor –elect Mamilyn Caramat (NP) –spouse of a police-general – garnered 29,735 votes against incumbent Mayor Joseph Arman Bauzon (API) who settled with 27,630 votes.

 NEW MAYORS. From left-to-right clockwise: San Fabian Mayor-elect Marlyn Agbayani, Binmaley Mayor-elect Pete Merrera, Labrador Mayor-elect Ernesto Acain, Dagupan City Mayor-elect Belen Fernandez, and Bani Mayor-elect Boying Palafox.

8) 9) Dasol: Mayor-elect Sadong Bernal (NP) – an exiting vice mayor – garnered 11,223 votes against incumbent Mayor Noel Nacar who got 8,682 votes. Nacar’s spouse is the Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

10) Labrador: Mayor-elect Ernesto Acain (NUP) – a former mayor – got 8,571 votes and trounced incumbent Mayor Domy Arenas (API) who settled with 7,550 votes. Arenas during the election campaign made news when he defected from the camp of Governor Espino to the camp of 2nd District Cong. –elect Mark Cojuangco.

1 1 ) Mabini: Mayor-elect Colin Reyes (NP) with 7,552 Votes and defeated Ariel de Guzman (API) who settled for 7,525 votes.

12) Manaoag: Mayor –elect Ming Rosario (API) – an exiting seasoned Board Member and a Surgeon – garnered 16,117 votes against exiting Vice Mayor Domy Ching (PROMDI) who settled with 15,961 votes

13) Mangaldan: Mayor –elect Bona D. Parayno (PDPLBN) – a former six year’s mayor of the first class town – got 28,466 votes against incumbent and exiting Mayor Marilyn Lambino (LAKAS) was routed by the much popular Bona Parayno. Lambino - wife of Secretary Raul Lambino and mother of Vice Governor Mark Lambino - settled with 18,276 votes.

14) Mapandan: Karl Christian Vega (API) decked out with 13,580 votes incumbent and exiting Mayor Dooy Penuliar (NPC) who settled with 8,956 votes.

15) Pozorrubio. Mayor-elect Kelvin Chan (LAKAS) got 25,402 votes and defeated Freddie Villanueva (API) who got 16, 133 votes.

16) Rosales: Mayor –elect Liam Cezar (NPC) got 19,555 votes against Patrick Revita (API) – a son of a three –term mayor - who contented himself with 14,700 votes.

17) San Fabian: Mayor-elect Marlyn Agbayani (API) – wife of the incumbent Mayor Danny Agbayani – who got 22,336 votes routed Board Member Riby Villegas (NP) who contented himself with 15,419 votes.

18) San Quintin. Mayor elect Florence Tiu (NP) with 9, 601 votes dislodged Nerio Ignacio (KBL) who got 9.162 votes.

19) Santa Barbara: Mayor-elect Carlito Zaplan(API) – a former long reigning mayor of the burgeoning town – who garnered 26,156 votes by dislodging incumbent Mayor Joel delos Santos (NPC) who settled with 22,180 votes.

20) Sto. Tomas: Mayor-elect Dickerson Villar (API) – an Engineer- who got 5,063 votes against Nela Marinas (LAKAS) who settled with 2,790 votes.

21) Tayug: Mayor-elect Tyrone Agabas (NPC) – an incumbent Congressman of the Pangasinan 6th District and a Lawyer - got 16,060 votes versus incumbent Mayor Carlos Trece Mapili (IND) who was routed with 8,975 votes.

22) Urbiztondo: Mayor-elect Moding Operania (API) – a long protégée of Pangasinan Governor Amado Espino, III and his namesake and father - got 18,971 votes by dislodging incumbent Mayor Martin Sison (NPC) – the son of the Espinos’ political nemesis former congressional bet Raul – who settled with 14,821. Sison’s mother Vice Mayor Marilyn Sison was ousted too by Volter Balolong – the son of assassinated Urbiztondo Mayor Ernesto Balolong.

23) Dagupan City: Mayor-elect Belen Fernandez (AKSYON) – a former six years’ mayor of the coastal city - garnered 67,499 votes in an acrimonious election campaign against incumbent Mayor Brian Lim (NP) who settled with 53,042 votes. The rivals’ family are owner of the chain-of- malls in the region.