Frasco admits uphill battle vs Magpale

CEBU, Philippines — While he is thankful for the youth’s vote of confidence and support, former Liloan mayor and now Cebu Ports Authority (CPA) Commissioner Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco said it is an uphill battle to be pitted against incumbent Vice Governor Agnes Magpale.

Frasco was reacting to the manifesto signed by the young people in the third district of Cebu asking him to run for vice governor.

Monching Makiling, 22, Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chairman of Barangay Pandacan, Pinamungajan, said that they want a “young and energetic” person to lead the Provincial Board.

Makiling feels the need to have an ally in the provincial government’s top echelon who can relate with their issues and concerns.

“We have looked at current leaders in the province, from north to south, and we found the best candidate in the person of former mayor Duke Frasco. He is young, full of energy, and most of all, have a track record of achievements in Liloan,” Makiling said.

Youth coming from the towns of Balamban, Pinamungajan, Aloguinsan, Barili, Tuburan, Asturias and Toledo City signed the manifesto.

Marie Leolie Ursal, vice president of the SK Federation of Barili, also thinks that it is high time for Cebu Province to have an official with youthful vigor at the top.

Ursal believes that a young leader like Frasco can rally the youth in the province to a better position of strength, specifically in addressing issues confronting the new generation.

“Nakita namo nga daku ug nindot kaayo ang gipangbuhat ni Mayor Duke Frasco sa ilahang lungsod… Boluntaryo kini amoang pamahayag sa pagtuboy ug pagsuporta ni Commissioner Duke Frasco,” read the manifesto.

“Among nakita ang katakos, kamaayong tawo, ug ang kaandam ni Comm. Duke Frasco nga motabang sa mga katawhan sa lalawigan,” it reads further.

Frasco said the idea of running in tandem with his mother-in-law, former governor and now Third District Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia, was presented to him a couple of months ago by the 1Cebu Party.

“I have given it a lot of thought and discussed it in several meetings with my leaders in Liloan, and they are fully supportive of the idea considering my qualifications, my experience as a local chief executive, and my achievements as mayor. However, if I am to run, I recognize that it will be an uphill battle as I will be up against the incumbent Vice Governor who has been in politics for almost 50 years,” Frasco said.

Frasco, 37, sits as commissioner at the CPA after having been appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2017. He served as mayor of Liloan from 2007 to 2016 and vice mayor from 2016 to 2017.

During his stint as local chief executive, he initiated, among many others, the scholarship program that benefitted more than 6,000 students, and medical assistance program benefitting thousands of Liloanons.

In 2015, he was awarded one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines for Public Administration. — FPL (FREEMAN)