DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 10 February) – Development worker Ma. Victoria “Mags” Maglana, one of three candidates challenging reelectionist Paolo Duterte in the first congressional district, will interact with voters in the second episode of the online forum, Candid Dates 2022, on Friday, February 11 at 2 to 4 p.m.
Candid Dates 2022 is a series of casual online conversations between Mindanawon voters and candidates running for President, Vice President and local seats in the May 9, 2022 elections, presented by the Davao Association of Catholic Schools (DACS) and co-presented by the Initiatives for International Dialogue, MindaNews and the Mindanao Consortium of Ateneo (Ateneo de Davao, Zamboanga and Cagayan de Oro).
Last week’s date with the voters was with Atty. Ruy Elias Lopez, who represented the third congressional district from 1998 to 2007 and is now running for Mayor as an independent candidate against another Presidential son, Sebastian Duterte. Sebastian is incumbent Vice Mayor who was unopposed in his reelection bid but withdrew his candidacy in favor of running for mayor as substitute candidate of his sister, Mayor Sara Duterte, who dropped her bid for reelection to run for Vice President.
DACS Executive Director Jimmie Loe dela Vega had earlier said in a statement that Candid Dates 2022 “will allow us to know better the candidates running for different positions. This is the chance to learn their achievements, stance on various issues, and their platforms for the Filipino people.”
Candidates will not be given the set of questions ahead, “hence the moniker Candid-dates — an opportunity for us to evaluate the genuineness behind their interest in holding a public office,” he said.
The public can also send questions for candidates to answer during the two-hour date.
The first candidates featured in the forum are those who responded to the invitation first.
The 52-year old Maglana has 30 years of experience in accompanying local governments and communities through capacity building, technical assistance, direct support and has been involved in policy development and advocacy work to pass responsive legislation at the local, regional, and national level. She is also a most sought after facilitator in conferences in government and non-governmental organizations.
Her legislative agenda is summed up in 5Ms: “Maligdong nga panggamhanan, Maayong kalidad sa kinabuhi, Malinawaon nga katilingban, Malahutayong pagdepensa sa kinaiyahan and Matinud-anong pagbangon sa ekonomiya,” which translates to 5Gs for Good Governance, Good Quality of Life, Grassroots Oriented Approach to peace and human rights, Green solutions, and Genuine economic recovery.
Since October, Maglana has been introduced as “The Better Choice, Our Real Voice.” New tarpaulins mounted in strategic areas in the first district refer to reelectionist Rep. Duterte as “Our Best Man in Congress!”
Four candidates are running for 1st district Representative: Duterte, businessman Jamal Ranon Kanan, Jovanie Cadao Mantawel and the lone woman candidate, Maglana.
In 35 years (1987-2022), the first district has been represented by five persons – all male — from only three families: Jesus Dureza, Prospero Nograles and son Karlo, Rodrigo Duterte and son Paolo.
When she filed her certificate of candidacy as an independent on October 8, Maglana explained that Davao City is not lacking in progressive citizens – “the politically progressive, the economically progressive, the socially progressive, the culturally progressive, the environmentally progressive, and the technologically progressive, and each one can contribute much to the betterment of the city.”
“But we need an enabling environment that will allow us to get our acts together and step up. This will not happen if we continue to accept that our future is exclusively reliant on the same recurring family names and that all that we have to do as citizens is to be passive and compliant,” Maglana said, adding that for citizens to “explore other and better futures, we need a shared vision and a commitment to make way for what is possible, rather than just stick with what we have gotten used to.”
For Maglana, “Davao belongs to the Davaoeños and not to a specific family or families only. The Davao that we know, and the Davao that we have now is a result of the collective effort the many progressives of Davao.”
Maglana was Valedictorian of Class 1981 in Elementary at the University of Immaculate Conception here, spent high school in St. Rita College in Manila and returned to Davao City for college at the Ateneo de Davao University where she was a Dean’s lister. Her former teachers continue to praise her for maintaining high marks even as she was a high-profile student activist.
She was Outstanding Student of ADDU’s Philosophy Division in 1987 and 1988, Most Outstanding Student of the College of Arts and Sciences in 1988 and was Best Debater in the 1986 Speechfest.
She served as President of the ADDU’s Samahan Central Board for two terms, was founding chair of the Davao Alliance of Student Councils, national chair of the 4th Buklod Atenista and Vice Chair for Mindanao of the National Union of Students of the Philippines.
She finished AB Philosophy in 1991 and returned to ADDU in 2011 to take up MA in Anthropology, Major in Environmental Anthropology where she completed all the academic requirements and the comprehensive academic exams. She also earned some units for Master in Public Management at the University of the Philippines Open University Program.
She also wrote a weekly column for SunStar Davao and contributed opinion pieces to MindaNews. (MindaNews)