‘Congresswoman’ Beng prays for pandemic to end, love for all

'Last Yuletide Celebration As Local Chief Executive'

NOW ON her third and last term, Mayor Beng Climaco, who is running for congresswoman in the 1^st District, has prayed to God for the Covid-19 pandemic to end soon and wishes only good for her people. This is the last time that Climaco is celebrating the Yuletide as local chief executive of Zamboanga which she dearly holds in her heart.

Mayor Beng Climaco

In an interview with the Zamboanga Post, the populist Climaco said she prays to God and asks nothing for herself, but the safety and welfare of the Zamboangueños and all the good things for the city she called “La Bella.” 

“I pray to God for our people to be able to be safe, healthy and happy. With God’s grace we become resilient learning from the struggles we have. Amidst the pandemic, we rely on God’s providence to win over all of life’s struggles,” she said. 

“Curada, Comida, Busca Vida y Vacuna. We look forward to 2022 to bring our beloved children back to school, families safely outdoors, and in prayer with the Holy Family, find hope, have faith in Love. We also pray for our country, for the people to choose the next leaders whom God will direct for us. And a world humble, grateful and good stewards of environment versus Climate Change,” the mayor added. 

When asked about her wishes for those who continue to hurl black propaganda against her, and for her detractors and political trolls, the mayor replied: “I pray for all…for them to be happy and healthy.” 

During the course of the 10-minute interview, the 55-year old Climaco, who is a devout Catholic, mentioned the name of God seven times and spoke nothing ill against those who talked evil against her, but only praises to the Lord, saying “God watches over everyone.” 

Incidentally, the Roman Catholic Church has seven holy sacraments that are seen as mystical channels of divine grace, instituted by Christ. Each is celebrated with a visible rite, which reflects the invisible, spiritual essence of the sacrament. Whereas some sacraments are received only once, others require active and ongoing participation to foster the “living faith” of the celebrant.  

Climaco, a multi-awarded politician, remains popular among residents and is seen to win in next year’s polls. 

In 2018, Climaco was chosen as among “Top 5 World’s Best Mayors” by the prestigious City Mayors Foundation. She was named along with Valeria Mancinelli, Mayor of Ancona, Italy who is the Winner of the 2018 World Mayor Prize; Ros Jones, Mayor of Doncaster, UK; Nathalie Appéré, Mayor of Rennes, France; and Charlotte Britz, Mayor of Saarbrücken, Germany. 

In awarding Climaco, the City Mayors Foundation said it heavily cited the mayor for her commitment to offer Zamboanga harmony, security and prosperity. The City Mayors Foundation said “The World Mayor Prize and Commendations” awards are given every two years to mayors who have made outstanding contributions to their communities and have developed a vision for urban living and working that is relevant to towns and cities across the world. 

It noted that shortly after being elected in 2013, Climaco was confronted with an armed uprising by Moro rebels that left parts of Zamboanga City under siege for 19 days and by the time government forces had defeated the rebels, 183 people had died and more than 120,000 residents were displaced. 

“During her first term in office, Climaco made it her priority for the victims of the attack to receive justice and compensation. She has also been determined to heal any divisions between the city’s Christian and Muslim communities. The Inter-Religious Dialogue Council she convened has been successful in promoting peace. 

In a city, which was often perceived as violent, there have been no bombings or kidnapping incidents since 2016 when she won the mayoralty seat. And in 2017, Mayor Climaco’s administration won the award for the most improved local government,” said the philanthropic international research think tank. 

It said that in a series of personal essays, the finalists for the 2018 World Mayor Prize described the reasons that motivated them to enter politics, the challenges they face as mayors and how they envisage their towns and cities to develop and prosper in the future. They stressed the importance of women in politics and urged young women to always aim high. 

In her essay, Climaco describes how the values of family members formed her political and social beliefs. “My grandmother was a champion of Filipino women’s right to vote and it was from her, we all learned the value of community service,” she said. 

She also wrote that in times of crisis her faith in God sustained her. Climaco was also recognized as “Most Outstanding Mayor” by the Federation of Local Councils of Women in the Philippines in 2017. These awards and rankings were based on indicators and measurements such as economic dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure and resiliency. These recognitions are feats never before achieved by any administration. (Zamboanga Post)