Ecija politicians join hands in tourism drive

PALAYAN CITY , Philippines  – An Umali and a Joson have joined hands to help develop the tourism industry in Nueva Ecija, considered one of the underdeveloped sectors of the province’s economy.

The forging of a Team Umali-Joson was sealed after board member Eduardo Rey Joson was designated chairman of the committee on tourism of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. Designated as vice chairman of Joson’s committee was board member Emmanuel Umali.

The other members of the celebrated committee are board members Estrellita Suansing, Edmund Abesamis and Belinda Palilio.

Joson is the son of former representative Eduardo Nonato Joson who did not seek reelection after only one term as representative of the first congressional district. Umali, an optometrist by profession, is the younger brother of Gov. Aurelio Umali.

The Umali and Joson political clans, considered the top two enduring political families in the politics-crazy province, have been at loggerheads since 2001 when Aurelio defeated former vice governor Edward Thomas Joson in that year’s congressional elections in the third district. It was considered by the Joson camp as their first valid election defeat since the Josons entered politics, as the 1995 loss of incumbent first district Rep. Josie Manuel-Joson to the then winner Renato Diaz was regarded a fluke because she was fielded as a mere substitute candidate following the detention of two Josons due to the murder of a political rival.       

Aurelio ended the Josons’ half-century reign at the Capitol by beating a Joson in the 2007 gubernatorial polls and repeating it in 2010.

The partnership between the two third-generation Umali and Joson took shape on Thursday during a five-hour marathon special session presided over by Vice Gov. Jose Gay Padiernos with the creation of 22 standing committees and the designation of chairman, vice chairman and members.

Aside from Joson’s committee, other committees formed were the committees on finance, budget and appropriation; women and family; human rights, youth and sports development, environmental protection, cooperatives, rules and privileges, ordinances and legal matters, peace and order and public safety, social welfare and development, health, agriculture, education and culture; good government, public ethics and accountabilities, public utilities and facilities, games and amusement; trade, commerce, industry and labor, public works, housing and land utilization, local government and barangay affairs, tourism and poverty alleviation.

Suansing, the designated senior board member for garnering the highest percentage of votes among the board members, was designated chairperson of three committees – environmental protection, poverty alleviation and social welfare and development – the same number of committee chairmanships of Abesamis who heads the committees on rules and privileges, ordinances and legal matters and local government and barangay affairs.