Mayor Eduardo Eddie Severo is not new in Public service, prior to being elected as Municipal mayor, he served as municipal councilor in 1992 to 1995 at the age of 27 and as municipal vice mayor in 1995 to 1998 at the age of 30.Heeding to the request of his father that he should focus on his family first, he did not run for re-election. However, since public service is in his blood, he supported the new leadership of Calabanga and served as Municipal Administrator for almost 12 years. He was elected as Municipal Mayor from 2013 up to the present. The biggest change that Mayor Severo has introduced upon sitting as Municipal Mayor is his style of Management. He has opened his office to all sectors of the community and to people from walks of life. His office door is literally open to anyone, without need for an appointment. This style gained ardent support from the department heads and the LGU employees. He constantly reminds them of this:
" IF YOU HELP MY ADMINISTRATION,YOU ARE NOT HELPING ME, BUT THE PEOPLE."
For the past five years of his term, Mayor Severo has accomplished a lot of programs and initiated reforms to improve the municipality. During the first year, he introduced a " facelift" of the town proper or its centro by the following projects: Improvement of Calabanga people's Park, Tible Park and Teacher's park. Installation of "Mabuhay Calabanga " signage, installation of LED lights and CCTV cameras and transfer of Rizal Monument from the municipal compound to Calabanga peoples Park. He started the improvement of the municipal compound by the construction of the second floor of the municipal hall building, which was completed in his second term. Construction of the new PNP and BFP building, rehabilitation of the Calabanga peoples center (Octagon). The completion of these structures provided a better working place for the employees which indirectly improved the delivery of services to the public. The " facelift" also attracted investors that the municipality now has three commercial bank, two department stores, one 24/7 convenience store and other commercial establishments.
Mindful of the social responsibility that comes with his office , Mayor Severo provides livelihood programs for the sector of senior citizens , PWD, youth, BHW, transport group and sidewalk vendors. He also expanded the membership in the local special bodies i.e. Local School Board, Municipal Development Council and the like, to encourage active involvement thereof by the sectors concerned. Moreover, he implemented the " no separation of church and local government" policy, making all religious sectors and organizations partners in the programs of the municipality.
Accepting the challenge of the CHED , he managed the operation of the Calabanga Community College, he relocated the school to a property of the Local Government in barangay Belen acquired as an evacuation center. The five buildings in the evacuation center are being utilized as classroom , while they remain to be a standby evacuation center in the event of calamity.
Moreover, having personally experienced the difficulty that every students endures to reach the nearest school, an additional secondary school, Severo high School in barangay Burabod was established to bring education closer to the children in the upland barangays.
True to his slogan, " Kalusugan, kapaligiran, Pangalagaan-Pagtutulungan ang kailangan " during his mayoralty candidacy, Mayor Severo gave priority to programs involving health , sanitation, and the environment. He initiated the distribution of toilet bowls to households in order to teach them proper hygiene and sanitation. Likewise he strengthened the implementation of nutrition programs , infant and young child feeding programs, family planning, and pre-marriage counseling programs.
To protect the environment, the LGU encourages tree planting and distribution of fruit bearing trees which can also provide livelihood. In partnership with PO's and NGO's mangrove planting and reforestation are continuing activities of the municipality.
In his term, the LGU has formulated the 10 year Ecological Solid Waste Management Plan(2015-2025) in compliance with R.A. No. 9003. At present, the LGU is in the process of rehabilitating its existing dumpsite. Likewise, in coordination with the Provincial Government, a study is being conducted for the procurement of zero-waste machineries to address the municipality's solid waste problem.
Having experienced ,the non availability of clean drinking water while growing up, Mayor Severo made it a priority to provide a potable drinking water to the residents of the upland barangays. Finding a natural source of drinking water , the local government constructed a water facility that distributes water to eleven barangays in the upland area. Also in the partnership with the Calabanga Water District, a water system in the five coastal barangays and one island barangay was installed, while a water expansion to some barangays in the poblacion area was made, with the local government providing for the water pipelines.
LGU Calabanga is fortunate to have been recipients of grants and financial assistance from both government agencies and non-governmental organizations. The LGU has successfully implemented the 80 million KALAHI-NCDDP projects given by the DSWD, with 46 out of 48 barangays benefitting there from. With the support from the DA , the Municipality of Calabanga which is one of the top Corn producers in the region, is the 2018 Hall of Fame Quality Corn Achiever Awardee, receiving a total cash award of Php 5 Million.(For the year 2014,2016 to 2018)Portion of the award was utilized for the improvement of the Market pavilion and the purchase of corn inputs for the farmers, while the remaining will be used for the construction of a training facility for corn farmers and DA Extension office.
LGU Calabanga is also a proud recipient of the Basic Emergency Maternal, Obstetric and Neonatal care(BEMONC) facility from a non-government organizations, The Agencia Espanola de Cooperacion International para El Desarollo (AECID), which now caters for normal deliveries of pregnant mothers . The Banco de Oro Foundation likewise provided assistance in the improvement of the BEMONC Facility and the Municipal Health Office. The Adventist Development Relief Agency(ADRA) also constructed the " Bahay ni Nanay" , a half way house for expectant mothers of far flung barangays while waiting for the actual childbirth.
With these assistance and the dedication of all health personnel and the cooperation of barangay officials .The pregnancy related mortality rate was dramatically reduced. The LGU regularly conducts blood letting activity and in 2013 the LGU Calabanga was awarded as a "National Sandugo Awardee " , it was then become a year round activity by the local government.
With just a year and six months left in his last term ,Mayor Severo's dedication to public service has not wavered. He continuous to introduce reforms and implement projects that benefit the people and the municipality.
Some of the ongoing projects include : (a) continuing improvement of the entire market compound (b) transfer of the slaughterhouse to an LGU purchased property that passed the criteria of the National Meat Inspection Service; (c) construction of the Youth livelihood and training center and (d) Improvement of the Calabanga Municipal Compound . These projects are envisioned to generate employment and livelihood Calabanguenos and to encourage additional investments.
While the task of being the Chief Executive of a big municipality is quite daunting, mayor Severo draws his inspiration from his late father who, despite his limited education, managed to build his own agri- business ; send all his nine children to college , and be a respected public servant himself. His late father also instilled in his children the value of integrity, that public service should never be a means for financial enrichment and that when a person has integrity, he has nothing to fear. This principle has made Mayor Severo fearless in his vision to make Calabanga the most progressive municipality in Camarines Sur.
Calabanga has come a long way, Mayor Severo cannot , however, take full credit for its progress. Believing in his vision, Calabanguenos have been very supportive of the programs and reforms . True to his present slogan, " PROGRESIBONG CALABANGA, PAGTARABANGAN TA" Mayor Severo is confident that come 2022 , he will leave behind a legacy of a better and more progressive Calabanga.
