Barely 100 days as the newly-elected Mayor of the Municipality of San Vicente, Amy Roa-Alvarez enjoys positive feedback from her constituents as being approachable, and was visible in all major undertakings in her town.
Being a first timer in politics, Mayor Alvarez is still shy in talking to local media, or even approving any interview, but Palawan Daily News exclusively got hold of Alvarez in a rare but short interview to answer some issues that surround her leadership, and being a daughter of Palawan Governor Jose Chavez Alvarez.
As the successor of Mayor Pie Alvarez her sister, she dismissed some speculations that they are not in good terms.
“We’re fine. We’re very close, she’s young I’m 10 years older, and she is done with politics. Me naman I’m just starting. I came from a business and now I’m here to help since I am in a good position right now in life, and all I want to do is help. I’m not here for the salary. I hope I could do good here and people can see that because I really mean to help everybody and to alleviate poverty here,” Alvarez said.
As a first time local chief executive, Alvarez admits that she is regularly contacting her father, the Governor, to ask for some tips and advice in terms of governing her municipality.
“I always call him because of course he knows more. Every time I have a problem since I’m also new in politics I always ask if this is allowed or to do this. I ask him every time I have a questions about something, and he always gives me good advice naman,” Alvarez added.
Her administration is now focusing on budget planning as of now in order to organize different projects and programs that she will implement.
In 2020, she will launch “Yakap Ni Amy” program that will bring the local government closer to the people.
“My platform when I was campaigning is Action Mission You. Next year I’ll bring LGU [services] to the barangays. Each month we deliver like medical mission to each barangay so they don’t have to come here to Poblacion to get treatment or like those who need maintenance meds, we will deliver to them. It hasn’t started now but we’re budgeting it for next year, so we can bring the services to them.”
Before running for public office, Mayor Amy was based in El Nido and ran her own bar, where she witnessed the fast and vast development in that area. That’s the very reason she decided to run as Mayor so she can help and manage the tourism potential of San Vicente.
“We are trying to be an Ecotown, but of course a lot of people have some restraints but we’re really going to try to push to be an Ecotown and do sustainable tourism. I ’ve been really trying to activate my Bantay Dagat, Bantay Gubat just to protect our forest and environment, the sea and everything. I want this town to see its full potential. I hope I can attain that and grow it as an amazing destination,” she further said.
A business degree holder from the United States, she used to work in her father’s automotive company, and later on put up a restaurant of her own in Manila, and then moved to El Nido for quite some time.
“There’s a lot of things that we have to address here, like DENR and the communities, and we have to focus on education as well, and have San Vicente grow the way it should and the way it could. I hope people can see that. I hope my three years here, and hopefully nine years if they let me, I hope I could do good things for the town here,” Alvarez shared her vision.
