Alfred Vargas steps on his political ladder

MANILA, Philippines - Many have thought he was just another actor riding on fame to become a politician. And many have questioned his credibility, just another member of the bandwagon. But when Alfred Vargas set his hopes high, he was determined to overcome and prove everybody wrong. In 2010, he embarked on a new career in public service by easily winning in the election as councilor of Quezon City’s second district.

Young and aggressive Alfred belongs to an emerging new wave of politicians. With great admiration for his favorite hero Andres Bonifacio, he grew up to be a leader, is intelligent and has got good communication skills honed from his long stint in showbiz as actor and host.

In an earlier interview in 2010, Alfred has silenced his detractors on his alleged incapacity to serve as a public servant.

“Having friends in showbiz who turned politicians, I already knew that I will be facing many challenges. There will be problems along the way. I was aware that the intrigues of show business were nothing compared to the dirty game of politics. People can be greedy for power and they’d do everything to get what they want.

“They said I didn’t have the competence, I was uneducated and inexperienced. But these only made me persistently pursue and work hard to achieve my goal. After going against veteran candidates and winning, I proved that politics need not be a dirty arena but can be a productive tool to help and serve others,” he said.

The fact that many people didn’t know about Alfred was that he actually graduated with an AB degree in Management Economics from Ateneo de Manila University. From elementary and high school at the same institution, he was an active student leader, a consistent honor student and a varsity player. Add to that, his charm and good looks that propelled his entry to show business.

Currently, Alfred is completing his master’s degree in Public Administration at UP Diliman. He is majoring in Public Policy.

As first-time councilor, his programs concentrated on the individual — through direct assistance and easy accessibility. He authored people-centered ordinances like establishing offices for Persons with Disability (PWD) and Alternative Learning System (ALS), which benefitted the poor that needed at least a high school diploma.

His ordinances that required the strict implementation in all covered hospitals, clinics, and other medical institutions Republic Act No. 8344 or accepting patients without deposit or advance and Republic Act No. 9439 or not detaining patients on grounds of non-payment of medical bills and expenses have helped the marginalized sectors of Quezon City.

These and other programs in sports, environment, and livelihood involving each community generated good results that made Alfred an important and respected member of the City Council. After his three-year term, Alfred gained strong political clamor and major support from the people.

During the mid-term election of 2013, he decided to run as representative of the newly-created fifth district of Quezon City, under the President’s own Liberal Party. This populous district covers the sprawling area of Novaliches and other nearby residential barangays that mainly needed attention from the government.

After a rigorous campaign trail, he won an overwhelming 70 percent of the total votes.

His first-year in office was marked with enthusiasm and progressive results covering the most important to the least concern in his constituency.

Being a member of the majority in the House of Congress, he vice-chairs both the Committee on Health and Social Services. He is also a member on 12 committees including on education, poverty alleviation, economics, housing and urban development.

Most of his projects are focused on the improvement of people’s lives through livelihood events (Puhunan Program, Affordable Value Cooking Negosyo and Palupa Program), district-wide medical missions (medical assistance, wheelchair distribution, dental programs) and education (scholarships, iwas-droga seminars, youth leadership program).

And making use of his being from showbiz, he also organized events to promote harmony and recreation in each barangay including sports activities and music competitions.

During one of his campaign press conferences, Alfred mentioned the true purpose of his political ideal.

“Service is relative. Many can serve but they either refuse to serve or become indifferent to the call. Some serve less than others. Others serve to gain. I serve because I can; I want to and am able to. The satisfaction I get in helping people is more fulfilling every time. Like winning an award for a job done and much more.”

His performance is not lost on his opponents. Although eyed to be a strong contender for a higher position in the next polls, Alfred said the 2016 election is far from his thoughts.

“It is too early to talk about the next election. I am just on my first year as congressman. My responsibility to my constituents is now. I just started serving and there are loads of work to do. Rushing on things will not create good results. I am happy to serve my people. I will be where I am needed.”