The Thoughtful, Generous Mayor J.R

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

BASISTA, Pangasinan – Indigents who came to the office of the young Mayor Jolly “J.R” Resuello here have not been disappointed after the latter heard their financial woes and shelled out some sums to mitigate their problem.

These needs are for the medication of their loved ones, surgery of their kin, funeral, repair of their houses, and other. 

Take for example the octogenarian small boned Teodora Ferrer who needs to repair her leaking roof. She has been waiting for hours in the lounge at the office of the Mayor watching him to come out from his room so she could confide her problems.

BASISTA Mayor Jolly “J.R” Resuello (2^nd from left) confers with his constituents in the rustic central Pangasinan town.

“Humingi ako ng yero kasi iyong bahay naming may butas na po,” she told Northern Watch Newspaper.

After the mayor concluded the noon time interview recently by this writer and was rushing to attend a meeting in one of the 13 villages here, he still stopped and listened to the sad state of Teodora’s abode.

 She told the tall chief executive about her leaking roof inconveniences her and her family at their shack in Brgy. Anambongan. 

They both spoke for a while in Pangasinense' and eventually the Mayor fished out some thousands of pesos bills and extended them to the callus covered palm of the grateful octogenarian.

The mayor’s assistant Marlon Montemayor told this newspaper that the three long galvanized iron (G.I) Mrs. Ferrer wanted to buy cost more than P500 each or a total of more than P1,500.

Resuello magnanimity and concern to the lot of his constituents transformed him after he won the mayorship in 2019 as the Darling of the Masa.  Almost all of the 13 barangay chairmen of the 4^th class town here pledged their total loyalty to the chief executive because he was accessible to hear their needs and grievances and ready to extend help materially and financially to them.

The mayor is ubiquitous in the wake of his constituents not only by giving his last respect for the deceased and his family but shelled out financial support to lessen their grief and expenses.

When this newspaper columnist's Arnel Montemayor and Resuello’s public relation man passed away because of illness last January 30, this writer sent a message in the Hizzoner's Messenger telling him that the remains of Montemayor, 67, lie at a funeral home in Bayambang town.

 The mayor was reminded too to give monetary support to the surviving family members of the op-ed writer

Resuello responded to this writer: “Yes, that’s already automatic. I’ll visit him tomorrow,” The mayor impliedly saying he would be giving his financial contribution to a dear friend.