The Incredible Gordons

A saga or an epic could be written about the Gordons of Olongapo but for now, their story will be extremely condensed. In mid-year, they celebrated at the PICC the 84th birthday anniversary of their matriarch Amelia Juico Gordon. What follows comes mostly from the testimony of guests.

Amelia is the widow of James Gordon, the first mayor elected by the new municipality of Olongapo in 1959 shortly after he had strenuously campaigned for its independence from the American Naval Reservation. Forthwith, he became the first mayor of the city of Olongapo in 1965.

James Gordon was consistently for law and order. Amelia, for her part, attended to the poor and the young. The mayor’s relentless fight against corruption–for instance, against illegal logging–alienated powerful elements, and on Feb. 20, 1967, he was felled by an assassin’s bullet.

Amelia was left to care for their six children: Veronica, Barbara, Richard (later to become mayor of Olongapo), Cecile, James Jr. (later to be elected congressman), and Imelda. Further, Amelia had to keep managing several business enterprises, and helping church and civic organizations, not the least being the Olongapo Civic Action Group or ocag–builders of Boys’ Town and Girls’ Home. Besides her own six children, Amelia had legally adopted 54! For over the past three decades, ocag, which she spearheaded, had fed, clothed and trained more than 1,000 orphans and street children.

Mayor Gordon’s assassination led thousands of residents to rally behind his widow, desirous of bringing back another Gordon to City Hall. Thus, on Nov. 14, 1968, despite grave threats on her life, Amelia was elected Mayor of Olongapo City. For four uninterrupted years, she gave her all to it, fully implementing her concrete program of government, opening new communities and fashioning a master plan for the city 20 years before the Mutual Bases Agreement in 1991 ended.

After her stewardship, she had barely begun enjoying retirement when the city clamored for her to serve as its representative in the Batasang Pambansa. Of her many claims to community service, her concern for Olongapo’s abandoned children remained foremost. But over and above that, Olongapeños will forever be indebted to her for turning Olongapo into a vibrant, self-sufficient, urban community acclaimed for its residents’ outstanding discipline and selfless volunteerism.

Honored with pnrc’s highest award, Amelia was declared International Woman of the Year 2002 by the Pearl S. Buck Foundation of America, besting such nominees as Barbara and Laura Bush.

Richard "Dick" Gordon carried on his mother’s multifarious responsibilities as Mayor of Olongapo, transforming it into an incomparable model city. As current Tourism Secretary, he has introduced worldwide the "WOW Philippines" campaign which is attracting thousands of foreign visitors. His wife Kate, now Mayor of Olongapo, is duplicating his feat and that of his mother Amelia.

Kate’s present programs include the cleaning, beautification, improvement and upgrading of the city’s facilities and structures to meet the standards of the Subic Bay Freeport in preparation for the integration of Olongapo City into the Freeport.

Only a few of her awards, which tell of her amazing achieve-ments, can be included: the Konrad Adenauer Local Government award (1999); the Presidential Award of Excellence for the Cleanest, Greenest Local Government Units of the Philippines (1997); unesco Cities for Peace Prize, Stockholm, Sweden (1998); Special Award as Outstanding City for its Day Care Services Program (1996); Healthy City, Healthy Market and Healthy Streets (1996); Olongapo PNP City Police Command (1996); Most Friendly City 2001; Highly Urbanized Category (2002); Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding Woman in Local Government from unescap, Thailand (2001); Special Recognition for Partnership with the World Bank under the City Development Strategies (2000).

Truly the Gordons are incredible!