"Before Vico Sotto, there was Cezar Quiambao."

"Before Vico Sotto, there was Cezar Quiambao."

(Quick react)

I just find myself laughing and shaking my head whenever our media friends in Manila make it seem like Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto invented or pioneered good governance in local government. I'd like to point out that not everything earth-shaking happens in Metro Manila.

Our municipal administrator was right when she said in a live interview, "Before Vico Sotto, there was Cezar Quiambao."

To recall, when he became mayor in 2016, CTQ strengthened the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) by reconstituting its membership and making the BAC proceedings really transparent and accountable. He also digitalized the entire LGU process, particularly those involving payments, leaving no room for you know what. He also created an internal auditing department -- I am not sure if other LGUs have the something like it too. He also relentlessly pursued ISO 2015:2009 (Quality Management) certification for the LGU, among other measures, which of course his wife, our current mayor, ensures these best practices are continuously in place.

And even before that, as a corporate man, he was already into corruption-busting initiatives. As I understand it, he was instrumental in automating the elections in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to forestall cheating, and digitized the Land Transportation Office transactions, eliminating the notorious fixers in what used to be allegedly one of the most corrupt agencies in government. He was also behind the digitization of the Land Registration Authority’s land title records, through his company, Land Registration Systems Inc. (LARES), thus helping to quickly resolve conflicting claims on parcels of real estate property, among other advantages.

These achievements in IT are little-known, even overlooked, at home, so it is ironic that these would get attention instead from outsiders. In 2008, Computerworld recognized him as one of its honors laureates in Washington DC, USA.

And now, for the first time in our LGU's history, Bayambang's local government receives an "unmodified opinion" from no less than the Commission on Audit, not just once, but for the second time around.

Maybe CTQ deserves a little credit too? Not that he needs it. This is about giving proper credit to those who truly deserve it.