Quiambao Denies Cong. Bid

 

TO SUPPORT ARENAS VS. POE

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

BAYAMBANG, Pangasinan – Business tycoon and former mayor of this flourishing town denied he gravitates for a congressional seat but instead will support the reelection of Pangasinan 3^rd District Cong. Ma. Rachel Arenas.

“Kay Rachel,” his short retort when queried by this writer incase outgoing Senator Grace Poe challenged Arenas in the May 12, 2025 congressional election.

BIGWIGS. Business mogul and former Bayambang Mayor Cezar T. Quiambao (left photo and clockwise), Pangasinan 3rd District Cong. Ma. Rachel Arenas, and outgoing Senator Grace Poe.

The poser from this newspaper came from the persistent rumor that circulated in the big province and the social media that Senator Grace Poe will be registering in the vote rich San Carlos City – the home place of her famous actor late father – before the one-year residential requirement by law ends on May 11 this year for her bid to challenge Rep. Arenas in the one city and five towns’ district.

When this writer told Quiambao that Arenas cozied up with him and wife Mayor Mary Clare Judith Phyllis “Nina” Jose - Quiambao in the last year’s People’s Grand Ball & Balikbayan Night held at the public plaza here, he said the Quiambaos are allies of the Congresswoman.

“Pagkasama kasama,” he said in the vernacular how he will support Arenas because she is a political ally.

In this year’s People’s Grand Ball & Balikbayan Night still headed by Sangguniang Bayan (Local Legislature) Secretary Joel Camacho, Arenas was represented by former nun Jessica Gueco.

Aside from dances by the attendees and presentation by the local government of the beautiful lasses of the Binibining Bayambang, warbler Hadji Alejandro serenaded the town’s balikbayans (come backing foreign workers) while they partake their dinner held at the public plaza.

The moneyed Quiambao – whose family owned Stradcom Corporation - was a major factor in trouncing out of the perennial congressional and governorship hold of the Espinos’ political family in the May 2022 election when he supported 2^nd District Congressman Mark Cojuangco and Governor Ramon V. Guico, III.

 Upon his return from Indonesia to the Philippines in the early 1980’s as Executive Vice President of PT Green Timber Java, Quiambao pioneered the country’s first infrastructure project’s Public-Private-Partnership in Metro Manila Skyway and the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR) tollways that spur economic growth and improve the transportation nightmare in the Philippines.