Prayers to end the pandemic, love to conquer anger

“LA VERDAD debe ser conocida” said Mayor Beng Climaco after attending a Catholic mass, adding “I found these words encouraging. If only we had the capacity to reflect on what Jesus has shown, it is the teaching of love. It is the capacity to know where and who our priorities are and persevere amid the set-back and put downs.”

Climaco, now on her third and last term, and is running for congresswoman in District 1, also quoted a verse in the Gospel that reads: “Jesus passed through the midst of them and went away.”

She added: The enemies of the Lord was about to harm him and throw him headlong. El Señor Jesus, ya dale mira su coraje, adelante suyo maga enemigo, ya pasa adelante canila y ya camina! “Wow! Could I also muster enough courage as Jesus did and walk past my enemies?” the mayor asked. “In a way, this is what Jesus did, He faced his enemies and walked past them. He did not dignify their threat nor their presence since Jesus had far better things to do and continue his mission.”

Climaco renewed her appeals to residents to pray for the pandemic to end and for everybody to be safe against the deadly Covid-19 respiratory disease. And to the fight smear campaign by those who only have vested interest.

“Hermanas y hermanos, aprende kita este Evangelio siguiendo con Jesus. No mas tiene miedo enfrenta di aton problema, aquellos que ta pone bajo canaton na di ila rabyo. We walk past them with faith in God’s loving grace, and do God’s mission,” she said.

This was also Climaco’s fervent wish and prayers in December when the number of Covid-19 cases were going down. It was also the last time that Climaco celebrated the Yuletide as local chief executive.

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

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.” 

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)