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| Presidentiables: Dick Gordon, The Transformers |
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| The People - 2010 Presidentiables | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Written by Highlights | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Tuesday, 02 March 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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When the Spaniards came to Maynilad, their deceit and might in arms drove out the thriving community led by Rajah Sulayman, built a wall around the city and called it Intramuros. Sulayman eventually built a new community, Bagumbayan, just at the outskirts of the walled city that stood as a symbol of intimidation that suppressed the will and spirit of the Filipino for 400 years. Centuries later, another Filipino in the person of Jose Rizal envisioned of breaking down these walls that hindered the Filipinos from achieving true freedom and a new nation. Over a century has passed and the nation has freed itself from the tyranny of foreign invaders - but the country is still a long way off what Sulayman had originally envisioned and Rizal had dreamed of. What the country needs is a clear path to change in order to break free from the clutches of darkness - and into the light. Richard “Dick” Gordon has this same vision of transformation and has inspired others to take this path - on the road to another Bagumbayan - a new Philippines. Early Life, Education and Personal Life:The pioneering spirit lived on in subsequent Filipino generations all across the nation. This is clearly evident in Richard Gordon’s family - his father, James Leonard Tagle Gordon, was the founder and first elected mayor of Olongapo when it was first established as a municipality. Soon thereafter, Olongapo became a full-blown city, and this time it was mommy Amelia Juico Gordon who emerged as leader and first city mayor, as the founding father of Olongapo - James Gordon - succumbed to an assassination. Dick Gordon has his roots set in Olongapo; however he pursued and finished his education in Metro Manila. He completed his elementary studies at San Juan de Letran then continued high school at the Ateneo de Manila. He continued his studies at his alma mater Ateneo and completed his AB degree in History and Government in 1966 as preparation for his pursuit in studying Law. During those early periods, Dick already manifested his leadership skills by constantly being elected president in his classes. He pursued his Law studies at the University of the Philippines, joined the Upsilon Sigma Phi in 1968 the started making waves when he topped the UP Student Council elections during the 1969 school year - a period of unrest where students, workers and other radical demonstrators against the Marcoses took to the streets in what would be eventually remembered in the annals of history as the First Quarter Storm. He took a break from his Law studies during his sophomore years when he run and at the age of 24 became the youngest delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention - a clear manifestation of his eventual role as a legislator of the Republic. He then continued his studies and eventually completed with a degree of Bachelor of Laws in 1975 - during a period where the country was cast in the shadow of Martial Law. His wife Katherine “Kate” H. Gordon is currently the mayor of Olongapo City. They now have four children: Marnie, Ali, LJ and Brian. Business and Profession:Shortly after completing his Bachelor of Arts from Ateneo in 1966, Richard Gordon started work as Brand Manager at Procter and Gamble Philippines and worked there for a year before deciding to pursue his Law Studies at UP. Already showing his prowess for leadership even while continuing his studies when he became a delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention, Dick became a Director for Kong Commercial Philippines Inc. during his last year of study. After graduating from UP in 1975, he immediately started work as an associate at the ACCRA Law Office and stayed there until 1979 when he campaigned and became the Mayor of Olongapo city in 1980. He and wife Kate maintain conjugal stock ownerships in various businesses including real estate, telecommunications, mining, transportation, energy and food. Awards and Achievements:Showing exemplary hard work, diligence and discipline even at a very young age as manifested in his participation in the 1971 Constitutional Convention, Richard Gordon continued to shine in subsequent years and became a recipient of various local and international recognitions and awards. This includes:
Political Career:The first district of Zambales had their own representative when the 1973 Constitution and they had it through the person of Richard Gordon, even though he was still a budding UP law student then. Gordon’s initiatives as a public servant did not end there as he continued the legacy started by his parents in transforming Olongapo from its dark stigma as a “sin city” in the shadow of the US Bases - into a modern and highly urbanized model city status that it enjoys today. Dick Gordon became the mayor of Olongapo City in 1980 and implemented several projects for public and community development programs which included the color coded transport system, the expansion of the public markets, the integrated solid waste management program, the formation of vendors’ cooperatives and other community organizations. As part of the promulgation of R.A. 7227 in March of 1992, the Subic Bay Freeport Zone under the management of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) was established with Richard Gordon as Founding Chairman and Administrator. During the same year, Gordon was also re-elected as mayor of Olongapo City with an overwhelming landslide victory. However, Gordon had to vacate his mayoralty post in favor of his assumption to full chairmanship of the SBMA. Under his leadership, the Subic Bay Freeport Zone flourished as the country’s premiere showcase for economic progress, impressing 18 world leaders during the 1996 APEC World Summit which include renowned international personalities like Margaret Thatcher, Dr. Mahatir Mohammad and President Bill Clinton. Billions of investments poured into this new industrial hub with the likes of Acer, Coastal Petroleum, Enron, FedEx, and French telecommunications giant Thomson SA funneling business into the Freeport and creating over 100,000 jobs - a worthy resurrection for the economic slump that the US Navy withdrawal brought upon the area. He held the position as SBMA Chairman until September of 1998 when President Joseph Estrada’s Executive Order #1, backed by the Supreme Court affirmation that forcibly removed Gordon from office. Ironically, Gordon actively participated in the second EDSA Revolution that led to the ouster of President Joseph Estrada from power and installed Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as replacement for the presidency. He was later appointed by the new president as Secretary of the Department of Tourism - a position that helped brought the Philippines back into the world tourism map. Gordon’s marketing skills gained from his Procter and Gamble days as well as his years of chairmanship of the SBMA was instrumental in actively marketing the country through the WOW Philippines campaign, road shows and tourism expos that earned awards at the prestigious International Tourism Bourse (ITB) and the World Travel Market (WTM), two of the world’s top travel trade shows. This brought the tourism industry back on its feet after years of negative growth and despite the looming threats posted by post 9-11 terrorisms, Abu Sayyaf, the Oakwood Mutiny and the SARS virus. Richard Gordon left his post as DOT Secretary when he ran and took the fifth highest number of votes that earned him the title of Senator of the Republic of the Philippines during the 2006 national elections. He wasted no time and immediately worked as a legislator and passed the very first law for the 13th Congress, RA No. 9333 among others, which includes:
AdvocaciesFor over forty years, Richard Gordon has been active in his most favorite job - as a volunteer for the Philippine National Red Cross. He was eventually elected as governor of the PNRC in 1986 and has been in the forefront in rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations during the worst of disasters that the country has faced in recent times. These include major shipwrecks, typhoons and major natural calamities such as: the 1990 Cabanatuan earthquake; the Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1991; the 2004 Aurora, Quezon landslides; the 2006 Ginsaugun, Southern Leyte mudslide. He is now the Chairman of the PNRC and is a member of the Governing Board of the International Federations of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The following are other political, socio-civic and professional organizations that Richard Gordon is a part of, which includes but are not limited to:
ControversiesDuring the 1986 government reorganization that President Corazon Aquino implemented after the fall of the Marcos Regime, Richard Gordon, who was mayor of Olongapo City then, was one of the local executives who refused to vacate their positions. President Joseph Estrada was another one. Eventually, Gordon vacated his post after receiving a formal written directive from President Aquino’s Executive Secretary. A staunch defender of adhering only to the lawful process of Charter Change as outlined in the Constitution, Gordon opposed the Constituent Assembly initiated by President Arroyo and the People’s Initiative put forward by Sigaw ng Bayan. Ironically, the Constitution he is sworn to preserve and defend is the same 1987 Constitution formulated by the Constitutional Convention appointed by President Aquino which he campaigned against. Together with then Vice President Salvador Laurel when he was still part of the newly reorganized Nacionalista Party, they were lobbying for a “NO” vote to the charter change. Gordon once again took the national spotlight when he led the nationwide call for the retention of the Subic Bay naval base in 1991, which was a major source of income for the City of Olongapo. The Bases Extension Treaty was eventually rejected by the Senate so Gordon and the people of Olongapo had no recourse but to lobby inclusion of their beloved city in the Bases Conversion Act - which they eventually achieved, thus forming the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. President Joseph Estrada’s rise to power proved a bane for Richard Gordon when Estrada’s first rule of order was to remove him from his office as SBMA Chairman and replace him with Bataan Congressman Felicito Payumo. Gordon locked himself up at the SBMA Admin Building and was barricaded by hundreds of SBMA volunteers in what would go down in history as the showdown in Subic. Gordon however, as a staunch adherer of the law, eventually gave in and turned over SBMA to Payumo upon receiving G.R. No. 134171 from the Supreme Court. 2010 Election BidBagumbayan: Volunteers for a New Philippines, a movement formed by Richard Gordon in 1997 was officially accredited by the Commission on Elections as a certified political party during the later part of 2009. Gordon, in a statement he made a few years ago that the current political parties, whom he considered traditional, had nothing to offer in his dream of creating a new Philippines. Teaming up with former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando in a tandem they nicknamed “Transformer”, officially announced his presidential bid and filed his certificate of candidacy under the new Bagumbayan Party. They have seen in their selves a similar hunger for change - and would apply the same ability for transformation that they have shown in Marikina and Olongapo - to the nation as a whole. Platform / Core Principles:The following describes Richard Gordon’s core principles and Vision for a new Philippines. According to him, a truly Filipino society must be one that is:
All these build a Country of Character -- our ultimate vision where everyone is Enabled to be Enobled and Free.
Summary
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 02 March 2010 ) | |||||||||||||||||||||
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