| Laguna
Gov. Teresita “Ningning” Santiago Lazaro started
her career in public service from 1964
to 1974 as a public elementary school teacher in the municipality
of Cabuyao and later in Calamba, her hometown. Her notable
achievement in business became the prime factor in her appointment
as Municipal Councilor of Calamba by President Corazon C.
Aquino in 1986.
This was followed by her election as Calamba’s vice-mayor
in 1988 to 1992. “Shooting like a bright star”
in the 1992 elections, she was voted overwhelmingly as member
of the Provincial Board representing the 2nd district of Laguna,
comprising the municipalities of Calamba, Los Baños,
Bay, and Cabuyao.
With
the death of the late Gov. Felicisimo T. San Luis, then Board
Member Ningning Lazaro assumed the post of vice-governor since
she topped the list of elected board members.
In
the 1995 elections, Vice Gov. Ningning Lazaro teamed-up with
then Senator Jose D. Lina, Jr. who ran for governor. The tandem
won unanimously and both were once again re-elected during
the 1998 elections. When Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointed
Gov. Joey Lina in 2001 as Secretary of the Department of Interior
and Local Government, Vice-Governor Ningning Lazaro took on
the responsibility of governing one of the nation’s
fastest growing provinces. She took her oath as Laguna’s
first lady governor on January 31, 2001.
The
first lady chief executive of Laguna was formally elected
governor of the province when the Comelec proclaimed her winner
in the Laguna gubernatorial race during the May 2001 election
where she won by a landslide. This was followed by her re-election
for her second term in 2004 and just recently her last and
final term after being re-elected again in the May 14, 2007
polls because of her successful public service to her fellow
Lagunense.
Being
among the modernized agro-industrial provinces, Gov. Lazaro’s
vision is to generate more employment for the province’s
growing population where majority of her constituents are
creatively employed enjoying the basic comforts of life such
as housing, education, livelihood, enterprises, and socio-cultural
and recreational facilities. For her, this mission is achievable
if there is an over-all development effort by all the sectors
of society to uplift the standards of living of the people.
This will then create an environment conducive to greater
agricultural and industrial productivity, and income making
Laguna self-sufficient, self-reliant, and self-sustainable.
Right
now, Gov. Lazaro’s development strategies, particularly
her flagship 7-Point Agenda, are bearing fruits through her
enthusiastic and dynamic leadership; problems and concerns
are being addressed such as poverty and employment. Indeed
like what most people say, “Laguna Laging Una!”
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