In Cebu, the ladies rule

Two hard-working and dedicated ladies in government service run the province of Cebu. One is Governor Gwen Garcia, the first-ever lady Governor of Cebu and the other is Vice Governor Agnes Almendras Magpale.

Magpale had no plans of celebrating her natal day with much fan-fare. It was not because she was being timid about her age, but, her family and friends would not hear of it. Her daughter Ina Asirit, Undersecretary of Energy, contacted family and friends and before long had over 150 guests at the grand ballroom of Radisson Blu Hotel to celebrate the milestone.  

Several tributes and warm wishes were shared by relatives and friends, the government hierarchy and civic leaders. In her response Magpale, an educator, entrepreneur and staunch advocate of women’s and children’s rights, said she is looking forward to more years in public service in whatever position or capacity. 

At 70, she is driven and active as ever and very much involved in assisting the governor in the task of organizing and managing the day-to-day concerns of the province.

Magpale rose through the ranks. She started her sterling political career in 1971, when she was first elected as Vice-Mayor of Danao City at the age of 29 and   served in that capacity for seven years. It was not until over a decade later that she took on a greater responsibility, when she was elected member of the Provincial Board of Cebu, representing the 5th legislative district.

In the 1995 and 1998 local and national elections, respectively, she ran for the same position unopposed, thereby giving her an overwhelming victory, obviously because of her outstanding work performance. Notably, of all the elected Board Members, she got the highest number of votes, thus consistently entitling her to the position of Presiding Officer Pro-Tempore in the Provincial Board from 1992 to 2001.

The achievements of Vice-Governor Magpale are a product of her incomparable work ethic and passion for genuine public service. In the office, she always imparts to her staff the value of commitment to serve and that this commitment be instilled in everybody.

Asked about her secret of success, the lady legislator courteously quipped, “There’s no secret, really. It’s plain hard work.”