Incumbent Laguna Governor Teresita “Ningning” S. Lazaro will formally file her candidacy in her re-election bid at the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) office in Laguna’s capital town Sta. Cruz on March 26, 2007. Gov. Lazaro will be accompanied by her fellow Lakas-CMD (Christian-Muslim Democrats) candidates led by incumbent Board Member Marco Sison of Laguna’s First District as her Vice Governor; incumbent Board Member Ramon Carillo, Mr. Mac Tancinco, and Mr. Dave Almarinez for 1st District Board Members; incumbent Board Member Rolly Bagnes, former Board Member Johnny Unico, and Mr. Alvin Villa for 2nd District Board Members; Mr. Rey Paras for 3rd District Board Member; and incumbent Board Member Benedicto Mario Palacol, and actor Leandro Baldemor for 4th District Board Members.

     The Lady Governor’s supporters are also expected to accompany the whole LAKAS-CMD Provincial Candidates right after the thanksgiving mass that will be held in the morning at the Laguna Cultural Center at the Provincial Capitol Compound in Sta. Cruz. The LAKAS-CMD candidates of every city and municipality are also expected to display their support since they will march with Gov. Lazaro and her running mates during the filing of their Certificates of Candidacies (COC’s).

     Gov. Lazaro started her career in public service when she was appointed as Municipal Councilor of Calamba by then President Corazon C. Aquino. As councilor, she displayed her steadfast service to her constituents that led to her election to Vice Mayor, also of Calamba. She then continued her unwavering service that catapulted her to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan as Board Member of Laguna’s 2nd District. She even garnered the highest number of votes making her the Senior Board Member of the province. When the then Governor, Felicisimo San Luis passed away, Vice Governor Restituto Luna assumed headship of the province making Senior Board Member Teresita S. Lazaro, the new Vice Governor of the Laguna. She was formally elected as Vice Governor afterwards with former Senator Joey Lina winning the gubernatorial race that time.

     Vice Governor Teresita Lazaro became the province’s first Lady Governor when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointed Governor Lina as the Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government. She was formally elected afterwards for two straight terms making her the Local Chief Executive of Laguna for six (6) years. In her tenure as Governor, the province of Laguna further thrived and developed wherein the province continued to received awards and citations.

     Also, infrastructure projects such as classrooms, school buildings, roads and bridges, and many more mushroomed and multiplied. It is also in her leadership that the Laguna University was realized where it catered the needy yet deserving students of the province. Her administration is also the first to make headways in repairing and rehabilitating two (2) key government-owned hospitals, the Jose P. Rizal Memorial District Hospital in the city of Calamba, and the Laguna Provincial Hospital in Sta. Cruz, which readily provide major assistance to all needy and indigent Lagunenses.

     Through Governor Lazaro’s endeavors, the AniLag Festival was also conceptualized and is now considered a Provincial Festival or Mother of All Festivals in the whole province, the country’s first. The reason for Laguna’s growth and progress is Gov. Lazaro’s flagship program, her 7-Point Agenda that serves as her guide. And because of this, Laguna’s income improved, tourists’ arrivals increased, investors multiplied, and job generation grew. # (CHRIS SANJI)