Governor Nestor B. Fongwan
Nestor Bagtang Fongwan is a
61-year old politician in Benguet, in Northern Philippines. The
Igorot/Cordilleran politician is the current governor of Benguet. Fongwan is
dubbed as the “action man”, with a political career of more than two decades. He
resides at MB-145 Guadayan, Puguis, La Trinidad.
Earlier Life
Nestor Fongwan was born on June
12, 1951 in Toyong, Pico, La Trinidad. Her parents, late Leung Fongwan and
Marcela Bagtang, were natives of Kapangan, Benguet. He is the sixth in the family.
He is married to Priscilla
Tirso of Camp 3, Tuba in Benguet. Their children are Marie Rose, Nestor Jr ,
Marilyn, Maria Theresa and Marson. Fongwan is also a vegetable and flower
producer.
The current governor of Benguet
graduated in 1963 at Pico Elementary School. He took his secondary education at
the University of Baguio (Baguio Tech then) and finished in 1967. He finished
Bachelor of Science in Commerce Major in Accounting and Masters in Business
Administration in the same school.
Fongwan worked as a clerk for
Benguet Provincial Auditor’s Office and Philippine National Bank in Benguet
from 1971 to 1976. He then became the director for Benguet Electric Cooperative
in 1978 before moving to La Trinidad Water District where he was also the
director until 1983.
Political
Career
Nestor Fongwan launched his
political career when he won a seat for La Trinidad Council in 1988. He ran for
a higher position during the next election and won as Vice Mayor. He was Vice
Mayor from 1992 to 1995. From July 1994
to January 1995, Fongwan also became the Acting Mayor of La Trinidad.
Fongwan had his first attempt
for Mayorship in the 1995 election. He went back to farming the next three
years. In 1998, he ran again and now won a Mayor. As the chief executive of the
town near Baguio City, he was able to help in elevating the status of La Trinidad
from a second class municipality to a first class one.
In 2004, Fongwan led the people
of La Trinidad to grab the Guinness Book of World Records title for having the
largest strawberry shortcake in the world. La Trinidad was also known as the
first Local Government Unit in the Cordillera region to develop a modern
sanitary garbage site region (Solid Waste Management Program of the Republic
Act 9003). Since La Trinidad is the center for vegetable trading in the
northern Philippines, Fongwan led in the campaign against vegetable smuggling
and in the protection of local highland vegetable commerce. A new public market
building, an open gym, a new police building were all built during his La
Trinidad supervision that ended in 2007.
Under his leadership, La
Trinidad received the Best Municipal Peace and Order Council (2006), Top Three
Best Barangay Literacy Council (2002-2005), Most Child Friendly Municipality
Award (1999-2003), Cleanest and Greenest Municipality Award (1999-2003), 9
Gintong Balaka Sectoral Best Awards (2002-2003), Most Outstanding Local
Government Unit Award (2002-2003), Outstanding Literacy “Bukas” Award for LGU
(2001-2002), CAR Outstanding Nutrition Program Implementer Award (2001) and
other citations.
In July 2007, Fongwan was
elected Governor of the province of Benguet. His first term lasted until
2010. He concentrated on revenue
generation and collections, improvement of health services through
strengthening the inter-local health zones, development of Benguet Sports Center,
renovation of the Benguet Provincial Capitol building, universal coverage for
PhilHealth (Philippine health care), agriculture, education, augmentation of
provincial roads, improvement of waterworks systems, tourism, peace and order,
disaster preparedness and other essentials for the people of Benguet.
He led in negotiating with
power and mining companies to get the province’s share from the gains of these
firms. He initiated the improvement of Atok District Hospital, Abatan Emergency
Hospital, Dennis Molintas Municipal Hospital, Itogon Municipal Hospital and
Kapangan Medicare Community Hospital. He supported the hiring of additional
manpower to the Benguet General Hospital and its separation from the Provincial
Health Office. Fongwan commenced the founding of the Community and Police
Assistance Centers (COMPAC) in different spots of Benguet. All of his efforts
are inspired by his motto “Let the People feel the presence of Government”.
In May 10, 2010, he was re-elected
for a second term. It was a landslide victory of more than 47, 000 votes over
the second in order. He was dubbed “the action man” due to his fast responses
to issues.
He has been a member of the League of Provincial Governor of
the Philippines, the National Directorate League of Municipalities of the
Philippines, the Regional Development Council, the Philippine Watershed
Coalition, the Knights of Columbus, UB Alumni Association, the Boy Scout of the
Philippines Executive Council- Benguet, the League of Provinces of the
Philippines and many more. He was once the president of the League of
Municipalities of the Philippines. He was the chairman of Philippine Red Cross-
Benguet and the Balili River Management Committee. He also became the vice
chair man of the Baguio Re-greening Movement.
Fongwan recently advised his folks at Mankayan, Benguet
follow the rule of law regarding a controversial drilling in the
area. He also initiated the launching of the Safe Vegetable Production and
Marketing project where a representative from Japan attended the ceremony. On
May 19, 2012, Fongwan was reported to be alarmed over child abuse cases.
Recognition
Gintong Balaka Leadership Award for Local Executives
Presidential Lingkod Bayan
Award (2010)
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