Mayor Almar Malannag marks second term, calls on iBalbalans to continue working with him

Balbalan, Kalinga – Mayor Almar Malannag started working as an inexperienced local chief executive in 2022, where he was only guided by his heart to serve; three years later, he began another term, leveraging on the developments his administration and his people achieved.

Malannag was sworn in to lead the municipality for another term by Judge Carlo Oscar Boacon on June 30, taking his oath with Vice Mayor Regina Munda Cruz and councilors Clarence Tongdo, Amy Ulep, Renato Calma, Junior Dao-ayan, Fred Tabcao, Marion “Bentong” Gacayan, Simeon Apaling Jr., and Ricardo Ignacio.

In his message, Malannag looked back to when he first ran and won as a mayor of Balbalan in 2022, saying what he only had then was the eagerness to do his best to introduce further progress in the municipality and the heart to serve.

Anchored on the clarion call, ‘Banat Balbalan’, Malannag’s administration gave the town a number of prestigious accolades, which include the mother of all awards for LGUs, the Seal of Local Governance. Apart from the awards, Balbalan made a huge leap in its economy, jumping from being a third-class to a first-class municipality.

“I may have been inexperienced, but my heart was in the right place, my conscience was clear, and my vision of the future was resolute. And so, when this inexperienced mayor called Banat Balbalan, you heeded the call. You allowed me to lead. You allowed me to introduce changes,” he said.

More work to do

Balbalan might have come far in the past three years, but Mayor Malannag said that there is more work to do. These include modernizing the agricultural sector, opening more roads, upgrading infrastructure, and improving the delivery of basic services with the goal of improving and uplifting the lives of every iBalbalan, among others.

Malannag conveyed he had heard the voices, comments, and observations of the people, which he admitted did humble and at the same time challenge him. All of these, he said, shall serve as one of his guides as he embarks on his second term as the mayor.

“Awards and recognitions are of no use if it cannot be felt from Ab-abaan to Talalang. There is more work to do. And so, I call upon all of you to continue working with me, politics aside. We can achieve more together than when we are divided. Your dreams are mine and I will dedicate all that I have so we can achieve them,” he expressed.