| Governor
Vicente Ty Pimentel, Jr. never thought of entering politics
until the popular clamor of his people was laid on his shoulders.
Although he belongs to a family of statesmen and politicians
he loves business, his family and his people more than anything
else.
He is the eldest son of a prominent lawyer, Vicente Luna Pimentel
Sr., the patriarch and political pillar of Surigao del Sur
politics. His mother, Felicidad Ty Pimentel was also a politician.
His maternal-grandmother was also elected provincial governor
of the Surigao del Sur from 1964-1967. She held the distinction
of being the first elected woman provincial governor in the
political history of the Philippines.
Vicente Jr., fondly called by his family and friends as “BB,”
earned his college education from the University of Sto. Tomas,
taking up Bachelor of Science in Commerce. Determined to have
his own business, he entered the logging business, a very
lucrative business venture in 1960’s and 1970’s.
He earned his first million pesos at an early age of 19.
At the height of communist insurgency in the 1980’s,
he was forced to quit logging and tried the construction business
for the Department of Public Works and Highways.
“BB”
Pimentel, married a beautiful lass from the town of Carrascal,
a half Filipino-half American named Mary Louise Hotchkiss.
He sired six beautiful children and five of them presently
enjoying good jobs in the United States of America.
Carrascal, located in northern most part of Surigao del Sur,
was a sleepy town in deep economic slumber, ruled by an overstaying
town mayor before BB Pimentel entered local politics. He was
persuaded by the poor people of Carrascal to oppose the political
warlord in the local elections of 1992. He enjoyed the backing
of the majority of the poor residents and convincingly won
as the new municipal mayor. He lived up to the expectation
of his constituents and instilled political and economic reforms,
never been introduced in Carrascal. His exemplary accomplishments
realized the hopes and dreams of his people for good governance
and economic development and progress. He was reelected to
complete three-consecutive terms from 1992 to 1998.
When his term as municipal mayor ended in 2001, he thought
of retiring from public service, but he believed that there
is no calling nobler than serving the public and to emancipate
the people of Surigao del Sur from the bondage of scourging
poverty, hardship and ignorance. He was once more persuaded
to run as governor, with high and lofty dreams to obtain historical
salvation of his province, who was ruled by his immediate
predecessor at the capitol under the climate of neglect and
massive graft and corruption.
In
his first term in 2001, he was able to implement unprecedented
projects never before accomplished by his predecessors. Despite
inheriting a bankrupt provincial government, saddled with
huge budget deficit and unpaid loans of a sizeable amount,
he spread out the limited financial resources of the province
over a myriad of concerns.
Pimentel became a champion of peace and advocating just and
lasting peace by actively fighting criminality and curbing
the proliferation of illegal drugs.
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