STA. BARBARA TODAY

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Looking back, Mayor Reynaldo Velasco never dreamt of becoming a soldier,

nor a  politician but an agriculturist.  However, fate led him to his true destiny… planting the seeds…not of agricultural products in the farmlands…but of hope for

a better tomorrow in the hearts of his fellowmen.

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It is said that the measure of a man remains in the purity of his dreams and the intensity of his passion.  True to his form, Mayor Velasco never chose to sit back and relax after retiring from military service.  Rather, he opted to make a difference in his beloved hometown, Sta. Barbara.

Born from a modest family on May 22, 1949 in Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan, Mayor Reynaldo Velasco was the second in the brood of nine.  As a typical boy from the province, he struggled, together with his family, to make both ends meet.  He even fixed his ruined pair of slippers with wire so as not to burden his parents in buying for a new one. He was very responsible that despite being playful as a child, he never missed feeding their farm animals.   Having been exposed to the farm, he dreamt of becoming an agriculturist. But grabbing an opportunity for scholarship, he took up Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering instead at Mapua Institute of Technology in Manila.

However, his father, who was a soldier himself, had other plan for him.  He wanted him to be a soldier too.  Hence, after two years of studies at the Mapua Institute of Technology, he studied at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), Fort del Pilar, Baguio City.

After graduation, his life has never been the same.  As the saying goes, “when given a lemon, make a lemonade.”   So, instead of rebelling for not being an agriculturist as he dreamt of, he decided to be true to his calling as a soldier. This is evidenced by the countless awards he received as a military man.  In fact, he even topped the 1990 PO1 Examination Nationwide with an average of 86.24%. Besides, he received commandant’s award for graduating number 2 among 50 AFPCGSC students. There is no wonder why he was able to make it to the top because even as a young man he already excelled academically. He graduated valedictorian in Daniel Maramba National High School in 1965.

His more than three decades of stint in the military service from a young lieutenant battling MNLF rebels in Mindanao until his retirement as a three-star general holding the position of Deputy Chief PNP for Administration, has been exemplary.  In between this span of time, he became a company commander when he served in the Visayas.  He was the 1^st Battalion Commander of the Philippine Constabulary Special Action Force.  From his provincial assignments in Negros Occidental and Batangas he rose to become a regional director.  As a regional director, he brought the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and Police Regional Office 1 (Pangasinan-Ilocos Region) to greater heights as best regional commands.  Later, he became the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) Director excelling in the fields of administration, plans, operations, logistics, as well as the massive improvement of various police camps and even comptrollership.

Despite his great accomplishments in the military, life for him is incomplete and meaningless if he could not give back the blessings he received to his hometown where he grew up and was nurtured. Hence, armed with a handful of determination and a dash of luck, he entered the world of politics and run as mayor of Sta. Barbara.  Trusting in his sincerity to serve, his townmates welcomed him overwhelmingly with open arms.

When asked what drove him to success, he replied, “My idealism was enforced by PMA training where courage, integrity, loyalty and service to the people are of utmost importance.  I want to make a difference and give the best as I can.  I want to give more, not less than what I have promised to give.”

Truly enough, within a short period of stay in office, Mayor Reynaldo Velasco was  able to accomplish enormous tasks more than one could even imagine.  Following his 10-Point Progress Agenda as guide, he implements plans that lead to total human development.  Believing in the capacity of human capital, he plans to bring more progress to the town by capitalizing on the town’s greatest asset—its people.

On a more personal note, Mayor Reynaldo Velasco is a loving husband to an equally loving wife, Ma. Fatima. Likewise, he is a responsible father to his only son Ricardo.  He remembered saying to his son, “I gave you the best than I can, now give more than that to your wife and children.”

The name of Mayor Reynaldo Velasco may have been deeply engraved in his people’s hearts but when asked how he should be remembered, he said with a smile, “I want to be remembered as a simple man, a farmer, and a sincere public servant.”  What a humble statement from a great man!