Superboy Mayor Pat

THE WHIRLING DERVISH OF CALASIAO

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

CALASIAO, Pangasinan – Barely a month as a mayor of this town, the young Patrick A. Caramat recently had his baptism of fire as he tirelessly waded breast deep flood water to deliver personally relief goods, transportation, and encouragement to his beleaguered constituents in the 17 of the 24 villages submerged by the water brought by severe tropical typhoons Crising, Dante and Emong and the heavy southwest moon rain.

SUPERBOY PATRICK: The whirling dervish young Mayor of Calasiao, Pangasinan.

“Higit 18,000 sa ating mga kababayan ang kinailangang lumikas at nawalan ng normal na takbo ng pamumuhay. Malaki ang pinsala sa kabuhayan, agrikultura, at imprastraktura, habang patuloy ang banta ng mataas na tubig,” he posted in Filipino at his eponymous Facebook account.

His Grandma said at his Facebook’s account that he had not come home since the calamities barreled this low lying town that became a brunt of the swelling water from the silted Sinocalan and Marusay Rivers.

The mettle of the young Caramat was tested between July 20 to 31 as this writer based this article on his postings at his Facebook’s account.

The 28 years old Mayor said that his nascent governance was already put into trial but just like the iron forged in fire by the famous swordsmiths at the Sitio Pandayan in the Barangay Poblacion here, he could steadfastly weather the storms. “Mga minamahal kong Calasiaoeños, sa unang buwan pa lamang po ng ating paglalakbay, sinubok agad tayo ng matinding hamon. Ngunit tulad ng mga kagamitang yari sa bakal na pinanday sa apoy, ipinakita natin ang ating katatagan”.

From that ten days’ period, the whirling dervish Superboy mayor – with his vice mayor, lawmakers, the workers of this local government, and personnel of the Red Cross in tow -- unleashed his Kryptonian powers’ durability, speed, x-ray vision, and super-hearing in saving the lives and limbs of his beloved townmates where many of their houses had been invaded by breast deep and above flood water.

The chief executive and his party gave the halpes folks here 𝘱𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵, 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘪𝘵𝘴, 𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘬𝘪𝘵𝘴 for the mothers, foods, 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬-𝘶𝘱 𝘢nd 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, and comfortable 𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘤𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳, provided them buses to pick Calasiaoeños from several villages under water and cut off from electricity to the dryland at the junction near Jollibee of this town so they could buy their provisions and do other transactions.

 “Bumisita rin po sa ating bayan si Governor Ramon “Mon-Mon” Guico III, Vice Governor Mark Ronald Lambino at Board Member Sheila Marie Baniqued para tingnan ang sitwasyon sa ating lugar at ang kalagayan ng mga inilikas. Maraming salamat po sa Pamahalang Panlalawigan ng Pangasinan sa dala ninyong tulong sa ating mga kababayan gaya ng food packs,” he posted his gratitude to the provincial government led by the Governor.

There were 169 families or 646 individuals who had been taken care by the Caramat Administration at the Calasiao Sports Complex during the catastrophe.

His avid supporter Backy crowed to this writer that the Superboy Mayor – just like Boy General Gregorio del Pilar who rode his horse -- “galloped” to the morass where the needy and helpless were entangled to give them succor at a drop of a hat. “Forty-four towns and three cities nagyayari po trending po sa social media si Mayor Patrick talagang aksyon agad kaya pinaguusapan siya”.

 In those days and nights of exemplary performances, Caramat – whose course to become a surgeon in Manila was cut short because of the political calling -- reaped plaudits from national and local mainstream media entities and bloggers.

National broadsheet Daily Tribune wrote in this excerpt: “We need more Patrick Caramats. A mayor who doesn’t care about the camera. Or someone who doesn’t talk to the masses, as much as talk from them. Like someone who once queud for ayuda, and never forgot what the line felt like”.
Turismo Central Luzon lauded the determined worker with his food stub to be given to social workers by ordering his staff not to put his name on it. Instead, the instruction said: “CLAIM STUB: “Para sa mas mabilis na relief operation. Mula sa buwis ng mamayan ng Calasiao”.

“No fanfare to parrot his name but just a green stub for food and other goodies to fill the aching stomach and warm the cold back of his people. He is a new breed of politician amid the culture of grandstanders among his peers and predecessors in the profession all over the country,” this writer wrote on his Facebook Page upon seeing it for the first time.

Indeed, Caramat is Superboy Mayor Pat of this burgeoning town considered as one of the few richest municipalities in the mammoth province’s of Pangasinan.  

“Ang paglilingkod sa inyo ay hindi lamang isang tungkulin, ito po ang aking landas. Buong puso ko itong yayakapin at paninindigan. Sa tulong po ng bawat isa sa atin, sama-sama po tayong magtatagumpay, aahon at gagawing mas matatag ang kinabukasan ng ating mahal na Calasiao,” he disclosed at his social media.

He added that the strength of a town is how its people deal on the calamity they face. “Ang tunay na lakas ng bayan ay nasusukat sa panahon ng sakuna, at sa Calasiao, sama-sama nating haharapin at malalampasan ito”.

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The Writer is the Editor of Northern Watch Newspaper. He is a Professor of Economics and Political Science.