ON A MISSION. Reelectionist Mayor Margarito Mission, Jr. of San Remigio (6th from left) and his teammates show the copies of their certificates of candidacy (COCs) filed on the Oct. 8, 2021 deadline given by the Commission on Election. Mission said he is seeking reelection to usher progress by providing access to education to learners in their municipality. (PNA photo by Annabel Consuelo J. Petinglay)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – San Remigio Municipal Mayor Margarito Mission, Jr. has vowed the establishment of additional integrated schools to serve more learners in remote areas if he will be given a fresh mandate.
Mission and his running mate for vice mayor, incumbent Councilor Eduardson Petinglay, and their team of municipal council aspirants filed their certificates of candidacy (COCs) on Friday, the last day of filing.
Under Mission's current term, four integrated schools were opened -- the Sumaray Integrated School in Barangay Sumaray, Panpanan I Integrated School in Barangay Panpanan I, San Remigio Integrated School in Barangay Banwang Daan, and the Aningalan Integrated School, the first farm school in the province.
“Prior to the opening of the integrated schools, these schools only offered Kindergarten up to elementary levels that the pupils in order to pursue their secondary education need to enroll in other places,” he said in an interview.
Mission said he firmly believes that education is the key to turn their municipality, considered geographically isolated and disadvantaged area (GIDA), to be progressive.
Before the integrated schools were opened, the municipality has only three existing high schools with most parents unable to afford their boarding houses and food while they attend schools far from their homes.
Mission said he plans to pursue the opening of three additional integrated schools to make education more accessible.
Those who filed the COCs for councilors under their team were incumbents Bernie Fortin, Alejandre Medina, and Rito Petinglay, Sr., Sangguniang Kabataan municipal president Larry Tan, veterinarian Pedro Francisco, Jr., seafarer Wilky Orquia, and former
Bugo Punong Barangay Felipe Victoriano.
Sme Panes, who is a surgeon by profession, filed his COC ahead on October 6. (PNA)
