Mayor Elizabeth Mandin Pace of Catigbian: From Entrepreneur to City Leader

PERSISTENCE is a word that matches and best reflects the journey of Mayor Elizabeth Mandin Pace. Leading the municipality of Catigbian, Mayor Elizabeth humbly began her way up to the top position now from a commoner that successfully builds business from scrap, literally.

Background

Mayor Elizabeth is a graduate of Bukidnon State University. With knowledge on caregiving that she got when working as a school registrar in Caregiver Training Centre in Bukidnon, she applied for a caregiver post in Jordan. And it was when waiting for her deployment to Jordan, she met a beggar carrying a sack filled with scrap and begged for money. It left imprint on her mind and heart years after. After six years of witnessing the raging war among Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon and returning to the country, she decided to start a scrap-buying business. The business went well until 2017, the former local chief executive of Catigbian came to her parents and seek admission to make her candidate for Mayor in the 2019 elections.

Path at the Top

Absence in governance experience does not inhibit her to work for her local people. It was noted that she lobbied with government agencies to construct farm-to-market roads that she deems will strengthen the position of Catigbian as an agricultural municipality. Persistence is indeed in her. In late 2020, she was once again recorded to appeal to Governor Arthur Yap to push the implementation of livelihood projects, including the farm-to-market roads establishment to cut transportation expenses for farmers in remote areas of the town and boost their livelihood. This effort is not in vain. It has made the Governor to pledge to lend the province’s heavy equipment for the town’s road and infrastructure projects.

Pictures:

https://www.catigbian.gov.ph/

Sources:

https://www.panaynews.net/up-close-and-personal-mayor-elizabeth-mandin/

https://www.boholchronicle.com.ph/2020/10/28/catigbian-mayor-pushes-for-more-livelihood-projects-to-fight-insurgency/