Carlos Padilla (politician) explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Honorable
Carlos M. Padilla
Order:21st
Office:Governor of Nueva Vizcaya
Term Start:June 30, 2016
Term End:May 5, 2023
Predecessor:Ruth Raña Padilla
Successor:Jose Gambito
Office1:Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines
Term Start3:July 23, 2001
Term End3:June 30, 2004
Predecessor3:Arnulfo Fuentebella
Successor3:Francis Escudero
Term Start6:June 30, 1987
Term End6:June 30, 1992
Office4:Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from Nueva Vizcaya
Term Start4:June 30, 2007
Term End4:June 30, 2016
Term Start5:June 30, 1995
Term End5:June 30, 2004
Birth Date:19 September 1944
Birth Place:Dupax, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines
Death Place:Solano, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines
Nationality:Filipino
Party:Nacionalista (2007–2023)
Otherparty:LDP (1995–2007)
PDP–Laban (1987–1995)
UNIDO (1984–1987)
KBL (1978–1984)
Children:3
Residence:Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines
Alma Mater:Polytechnic University of the Philippines (BCom)
Spouse:Ruth Cacpal Raña
Termstart:June 30, 2016
Termstart1:July 22, 2013
Termend1:June 30, 2016
Termstart2:January 24, 2001
Termend2:June 30, 2001
Office3:House Minority Leader
Term Start7:1978
Term End7:1984
Office7:Member of the Interim Batasang Pambansa
Term Start8:1975
Term End8:1978
Office8:Mayor of Dupax del Norte
Predecessor4:Rodolfo Agbayani
Predecessor5:Leonardo Perez
Predecessor6:Leonardo Perez
Successor4:Luisa Lloren Cuaresma
Successor5:Rodolfo Agbayani
Successor6:Leonardo Perez
Constituency7:Region II

Carlos Mapili Padilla (in Tagalog pronounced as /paˈdilja/; September 19, 1944 – May 5, 2023) was a Filipino politician who served as the Governor of Nueva Vizcaya from 2016 until his death in 2023.[1] Padilla was elected to his first term as Governor in 2016 and was re-elected in 2019 and 2022.[2]

Early life and education

Carlos Mapili Padilla was born in present-day Dupax del Norte, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines on September 19, 1944.[3] As an illegitimate child whose father died when he was 13, he was raised by his mother, Victoriana Mapili of Aringay, La Union, and Tayug, Pangasinan, along with his older two siblings.[4] He studied at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), where he served as President of the Supreme Student Council.

Political career

Padilla first served as Mayor of the then-undivided municipality of Dupax, Nueva Vizcaya. He was the last Mayor of an undivided Dupax and the first mayor of Dupax Del Norte after Dupax was split into three municipalities in 1975 namely, Dupax del Norte, Dupax del Sur and Alfonso Castañeda.[5]

House of Representatives

In 1978, he was among eight Assemblymen elected to represent Region II (Cagayan Valley) in the Interim Batasang Pambansa as a member of the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan party of President Ferdinand Marcos. He ran again in 1984 as an opposition candidate to represent Nueva Vizcaya in the Regular Batasang Pambansa but lost to former Congressman and Senator Leonardo Perez after a bitterly disputed campaign marred by allegations of fraud. He was finally elected to represent Nueva Vizcaya in the restored Congress in 1987.[6]

While in Congress, he served as Deputy Speaker and a Minority Leader. He became a member of very important congressional bodies such as the Commission on Appointments and the House of Representative Electoral Tribunal (HRET). He became the Co-chair of the Congressional Commission on Education (EDCom), a body to assess Philippine education. As Education Committee chairman, he authored the landmark law Free High School Act of 1988 (RA 6655) that ensures free high school education for every Filipino, and RA 6728, providing various forms of government assistance to students and teachers in private education. Padilla also authored RA 6966 regulating the librarian profession, RA 7104 creating the Commission on the Filipino Language, RA 7168 converting the Philippine Normal College into the Philippine Normal University, RA 7536 creating the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Philippine Nursing Act (RA 9173), and the Philippine Dentistry Bill (HB 4908). Padilla was also the principal author and sponsor of laws establishing schools in the province such as the Nueva Vizcaya State University and the Philippine Science High School-Cagayan Valley Campus, located in Bayombong.

On several occasions, he represented Congress in several international conferences abroad, such as the International Labour Organization Conference in Geneva, the Asia-Pacific Parliamentarians' Union, the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization Conference, and the UNESCO General Assembly in Paris among others.

2004 Elections

In 2004, he ran for senator under the ticket of Senator Panfilo Lacson and lost. He ended up at the 24th spot garnering 3,863,693 votes which represents 11.53% votes.

Governor of Nueva Vizcaya

Padilla ran for governor in 2016 and won, receiving 91,105 votes. He ran again for a second term in 2019 winning by a bigger margin. He secured his last term after winning in the 2022 local elections, garnering 143,552 votes.[7]

During his time in office, he was a critic of large-scale mining operations in the province such as the open-pit mine operated by the Australian mining firm OceanaGold in barangay Didipio in the town of Kasibu.[8] After the firm's permit to operate the mine expired on June 20, 2019, Padilla issued a directive to the company to cease its operation. However, it was overruled by the national government, which renewed the permit for another 25 years.[9]

Personal life and death

Carlos M. Padilla was married to Ruth Raña Padilla, who also served as governor of Nueva Vizcaya and Commissioner of the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC). They had three children: Carlos Jr. (Jojo), Ruthie Maye (Maye), and Carlo Paolo (CP) and seven grandchildren.

Padilla died after suffering a heart attack on May 5, 2023, at the age of 78.[10] He was later interred at his ancestral home in Dupax del Norte.[11]

Awards

Padilla was a recipient of the outstanding alumnus award at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), where he also received his doctorate degree in Public Administration, honoris causa. He likewise received the same honorary degree in Education, and in Humanities, from the Philippine Normal University and the Nueva Vizcaya State Institute of Technology and the Nueva Vizcaya State Polytechnic College, now the Nueva Vizcaya State University (NVSU) respectively. In 2022, he was awarded the Dangal ng Wika by the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) in recognition of his contributions and achievement in the furtherance of the use of the Filipino language.[12]

Legacy

Anti-mining advocates in El Salvador commended Padilla for his contribution to the historic unanimous vote of the country's legislature banning metal mining to protect rivers, thus making El Salvador the first nation to do so.[13] The decision was made in 2017 following Padilla's testimony before Salvadoran legislators and public about the effects of OceanaGold, causing the company to pay compensation and the eventual abandonment of the El Dorado project. This story was documented in the book The Water Defenders: How Ordinary People Saved a Country from Corporate Greed, which won a Philippine National Book Award. Padilla was supposed to receive the award on behalf of the authors.[14]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Governor of Nueva Vizcaya . nuevavizcaya.gov.ph . July 25, 2019.
  2. News: Carlos Padilla gets new term as governor . May 15, 2019 . Manila Standard . July 25, 2019.
  3. News: Carlos M. Padilla . September 11, 2007 . GMA News . April 9, 2023.
  4. Web site: Gov CMP, the legend of the North . January 30, 2022 .
  5. Web site: Profile of GOV. CARLOS M. PADILLA, Nueva Vizcaya | League of Provinces of the Philippines Online .
  6. Web site: Vote Early, Vote Often: Why do people cheat in the elections? Simply because they can . AsiaWeek . April 9, 2023.
  7. Web site: Padilla, Cuaresma retain posts in Nueva Vizcaya . . May 11, 2022 .
  8. Web site: Nueva Vizcaya gov to mining advocates: Benefits just temporary . . September 9, 2016 .
  9. Web site: Undermining the people’s will: Another 25 years of injustice for Didipio . . August 12, 2021.
  10. News: Nueva Vizcaya Gov. Carlos Padilla; 78 . . May 5, 2023.
  11. News: Leander . Domingo . Padilla laid to rest in Dupax del Norte . . May 14, 2023 . May 14, 2023.
  12. Web site: KWF idinaos ang Araw ng Parangal 2022 . Philippine Information Agency .
  13. News: Broad, Robin . Cavanagh, John . Opinion: The far-flung legacy of Carlos Padilla: When a governor clinched a vote that saved a country . . May 11, 2023 . May 17, 2023.
  14. News: Gozum . Iya . Salvadoran environmentalists honor Nueva Vizcaya Governor Carlos Padilla . . May 14, 2023 . May 14, 2023.