In a historic first for the province of Nueva Vizcaya, the newly elected national, provincial, and municipal officials gathered in the Carlos M. Padilla Convention Center on June 30, 2025, to take part in a joint Oathtaking cum Transitional Ceremony.
The unifying event was the brainchild of Governor Atty. Jose V. Gambito, who was duly joined by Congressman Timothy E. Cayton, Vice Governor Eufemia A. Dacayo, Sangguniang Panlalawigan Board Members Flodemonte Gerdan, Primo Percival Marcos, Eunice Galima-Gambol, Leah Tidang, Wilson Salas, Leonard Clemens Cadoy, Pablo Kindot, and Emerlene Galanta-Martinez. Municipal officials also took part in the momentous occasion, namely Councillors Ricardo L. Bonus and Mark Joel P. Balgos of Bambang, as well as Diadi Mayor and Vice Mayor Sandy Gayaton and Rolito Dulnuan, and several of their Sangguniang Bayan Board Members.
The oaths were administered by Hon. Paul Attolba Jr., Head of the Regional Trial Court – South District, who also gave a preamble speech addressing the newly elected officials and edifying the attendees on the responsibilities of a government official. “The oath is the legal key of the official beginning of the servant’s mandate. It is a promise of accountability. (…) The power you hold does not reside in you, but in the people. In return, they ask you to lead with integrity and compassion. Each signature for each document, each decision in office, and each step in governance must be rooted in the principles of public service.”
Congressman Timothy Joseph Cayton as the national representative of the lone district of Nueva Vizcaya was first to take his oath. In Congressman Cayton’s speech, he stated that, though he had dreamed big as the elected mayor of Dupax del Norte in 2016, he dreams bigger now as the congressman of Nueva Vizcaya. “I am here not just to take part, but to witness one of the most historic events in Nueva Vizcaya. (…) We did not just pluck the words ‘Brand-New Nueva Vizcaya’ out of thin air. Brand-New Nueva Vizcaya entails prosperity, development, and progress. The governor possesses the same shared vision (of unity and progress). My presence here extends my support not just to the governor, but to the whole province of Nueva Vizcaya. Let us all together work as one.”
Vice Governor Eufemia A. Dacayo continued in the same vein, while also thanking her children and her husband, Solano Mayor Philip A. Dacayo, for his continued support and understanding. Vice Governor Dacayo put forth in her speech the province’s continued mandate of good governance, stating that, “Good governance is not just a catchphrase, but a promise. It is the foundation of democracy (…) and the bridge between us servants and the people we serve. Every decision we make, every policy we pass, should uplift communities.”
After taking his oath, Governor Atty. Jose V. Gambito stepped to the podium to give his inaugural speech. Expressing his gratitude to his attending extended family, the public servants of the provincial government, the youth of Nueva Vizcaya, and to Congressman Cayton and Vice Governor Dacayo, Governor Gambito showed his appreciation and optimism for their support of his endeavors in creating a progressive Nueva Vizcaya. “I stand before you, deeply honored and humbled, as I officially assume my first full term as your governor – a mandate that you have entrusted to me with overwhelming support. Thank you very much for the support you have given to me.”
Speaking of the late Governor Carlos M. Padilla, Governor Gambito acknowledged that while he himself had begun his term in ‘circumstances no one wished for’, and had ‘taken over to continue his legacy’, the landslide results of the election and the opportune responsibilities he had received in the present times was now, to him, an ‘act of Divine providence.’
Governor Gambito outlined his intentions to continue his flagship programs, among which were the “Silaw ti Umili” program, which had aimed to provide solar-powered light to far-flung areas in the province, as well as plans to work with the Nueva Vizcaya Electric Cooperative (NUVELCO) in similar projects; the “Kalsada ti Kabanbantayan”, a project by the late governor to be continued in the new term; ongoing healthcare initiatives for the marginalized sector, such as the “Dalan ti Umili” and Mobile Healthcare wellness caravans”; tentative plans for greater ‘regional tourism connectivity’, beginning with opening the Bagabag Airport; continued support not just for the youth of Nueva Vizcaya with whom Governor Gambito had strong affiliation, but for the elderly of the province; and plans to provide adequate facilities, equipment, and ‘become the middlemen’ as regards the rice farming in the province.
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region II Director Catherine Allam-Miranda would spearhead the transitional ceremony after the inauguration, with all elected officials and provincial government department heads joining the governor in the ceremonial hand-over.
Under the roof of the Convention Center named for the late Governor Carlos M. Padilla, the new provincial government of Nueva Vizcaya united for the first time to officially undertake their responsibilities. Governor Atty. Jose V. Gambito’s mandate of unity and inclusivity on all levels of government may bring the province forward into a new era of progress and visibility to the rest of the nation. /igmb
[This article was initially created on Facebook – Vizcaya Reporter. For PLGU-Nueva Vizcaya updates, visit: https://www.facebook.com/vizcayareporter]
