Franz Pumaren: True-blue public servant

Adyed-in-the-wool Green Archer during his school days, and award-winning coach for the De La Salle Green Archers at the UAAP with five championships under his belt, “Coach” Franz Pumaren is now, in his own words, a “true-blue” public servant.

And his alma mater’s archrival, the Ateneo de Manila University, whose Blue Eagles he often encountered on the hardcourt for heart-stopping championship games, is now one of his constituents in the Third District of Quezon City.

Pumaren, who started on the road to public service with his barangay, first served as councilor for three consecutive terms from 2001 to 2010. He returned to the Quezon City Council when he was elected in 2013. He was re-elected in 2016 and 2019.

Franz believes in interacting with his constituents to know their needs better.

Councilor Franz is leaping toward a different goal next year, aiming to represent Quezon City’s Third District in the House of Representatives in the May elections — and hoping to connect.

The Araneta Coliseum, as a matter of fact, a dome which saw him give his best shots both as a player and as a coach, is in his district. Franz coached the De La Salle Green Archers from 1998 to 2009 where he led them to five men’s basketball championships including a four-peat from 1998 to 2001, and his final championship with the team in 2007.

Sports, says Franz, who is known as “Majo” (for majority floor leader) in City Hall, instilled in him the discipline for public service.

“It also taught me to have a winning attitude. In public service also, you deal not just with your team but with people and you provide them not only basic services, but at the same time you have to manage them,” says Franz, who arrived at our Zoom interview 10 minutes before schedule.

And the best way to deal with your team or your community, especially if you’re their coach, is to be a steadying force.

“For many years, I’ve been a motivational speaker. And if you notice the way I was coaching, they say, I look calm, I don’t panic, I make sure that I’m still in total control. Because especially if you’re coaching younger kids in college, you cannot show that you’re panicking or you’re nervous. You have to project yourself as calm. And during those closing minutes of a game, there are things that you have to do to encourage them. For example, if the team is down, I always tell my players, let’s just keep the game close. And I will make sure that I will win the game for you.”

College sweethearts.

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In the same way, he hopes to win a better life for his constituents if elected to Congress — and not just in the last two minutes.

To motivate one’s constituents, “Give your services. If you’re there for them, if you do good things for them, they will really appreciate that.”

His legislative agenda will be anchored on four points, which he calls his #FirstPriority 4-point platform or 4Ps: Pangkalusugan, Pampamilya, Paaral and Pangkabuhayan.

For health, Franz plans to propose and pass bills to improve public health systems, increase the pay of our health care workers, and have a comprehensive public health program.

For education, his plans include bills to improve educational systems, and to mandate the Department of Education and CHED to adjust comprehensively the current curriculum to blended-learning and provide for better ICT infrastructure and hardware to teachers and students for online schooling.

For business and livelihood, Franz aims to propose and pass bills to improve the local economy and support businesses, which includes tax relief for businesses who keep their employees and tax incentives to investors and new businesses.

For social services, Franz, who believes that the best way to know what his constituents need is to immerse yourself in their lives, aims to expand socialized housing programs and give residents access to basic service such as water and electricity. His platform includes better pension and expanded benefits for senior citizens and better social programs for single parents.

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Franz the family man also knows his priorities.

“I know how to manage my time. I make sure that I always have family time with my wife and children,” says Franz, who has been happily married to his DLSU college sweetheart Odette for almost 29 years now. Smitten by Odette, he recalls asking a mutual friend to set them up on a blind date — but his friend set him up with the wrong girl in their group! To make a long story short, the persistent cager finally caught Odette’s attention and they now are proud parents to three children: Luigi, Nico and Maxine.

“As a father, I am a disciplinarian but I know how to loosen up,” he chuckles.

He credits his parents Pilo and Yeyet Pumaren for teaching him how to be independent and decisive.

“They taught me that I should make decisions and stand by them, to defend myself — not only physically, but also my views, my opinions. And that I should know how to respect not only elders, but other people.”

As a public servant, Franz has also been shaped by people he looks up to.

“I look up to former Speaker Sonny Belmonte. If you look at his track record, when he was the Speaker of the House, he was able to work with the minority group and the majority group. I also admire Mayor Joy (Belmonte).  She’s a very independent woman. In fact, she can make her own decisions; she will listen to all pieces of advice but at the end of the day, she will make the decision.”

In basketball, “My hero, of course, is Phil Jackson.” (For non-basketball aficionados, online records say Jackson was the head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 to 1998, leading them to six NBA championships.)

Franz Pumaren, whether as “Coach,” “Konsehal” or “Majo” admires decisive people who play hard and work harder to win, not just for themselves but for the greater good. His eyes have always been trained on that goal, and on taking that decisive leap toward it.

(You may e-mail me at [email protected]. Follow me on Instagram @joanneraeramirez.)