Gov. Marilou H. Cayco Wins 2nd Term with Ease

The beautiful governor of Batanes Province, the Honorable Governor Marilou H. Cayco, was elected for a second term in the recent mid-term elections. She was proclaimed amidst great celebrations of her supporters on May 16, 2019, after a delay caused by an SD malfunction in one of the precincts.  

Governor Cayco garnered 5753 votes as against her opponent, a former governor of Batanes, Mr. Telesforo Castillejos, who got 3547 votes. She won in all the voting precincts in the province, an affirmation of the support of the Ivatans who now refer to her as “Ina ng Batanes.“

The three years of her first term saw the development of projects nearest her heart: agriculture, sustainable tourism and human resource development.

Her Gulayan ng Bayan, first introduced in Itbayat island was such a success that it is now being replicated all over the province. She introduced new breeds of livestock, and new technologies in the processing of fish and other seafoods. These are only a few of her projects to insure food supply in the isolated province. And to enable the movement of products, she undertook construction, especially of feeder roads that connect product sources with the consumers; repair of roads, improvements in the ports, which is very important to the frequently typhoon-visited province.   

Avoiding a Boracay-like situation and maintaining the culture and traditions of the Ivatans are very prominent in her agenda for tourism development.

One of the first projects she undertook the first time she was elected was to improve the quality of service of those working in government; she instilled discipline and a service-oriented attitude in the workplace, starting with the office workforce, and then in all the other offices in the public sector.  As for the private sector, she developed interest in entrepreneurship and engaging in productive activities.  

Perhaps, a great part of the support she got was from her projects for seniors – a sizable group in the province who, for the first time was given attention and care; she also has projects for solo parents and the youth.

During the Miting de Avance of the Liberal Party, she made a promise to her province mates: “I still have so many plans for the Ivatans.  My heart will always be in Batanes”.