AZEL VALENZUELA MANGUDADATU...THE COMPASSIONATE AND HUMBLE MAYOR OF PRESIDENT QUIRINO, SULTAN KUDARAT
by Apolinario Villalobos

While still in Manila, I had been hearing stories about the "gorgeously beautiful mayor of President Quirino". My interest in Quirino was then limited to my book project about its history, Tacurong and the surrounding areas settled by Visayans from Panay. I also owe a lot of gratitude to the once known as Sambolawan because of the opportunity given to my elder sister Maria Erlinda and her husband Ciriaco Seballos who taught at the Central School until their retirement.

The first time I met the lady mayor was when I attended an occasion at the municipal gym many years back. There was no "presidential table" on stage or in front below, just chairs facing the stage, arranged theater-style. When she arrived, I was stunned by her beauty, clad in the Maguindanao dress that covered even her feet, aside from the tandong that framed her pretty smooth face. She was walking alone towards a vacant chair beside me, smiling, and what made me smile my best was when I heard her say, "nagpudut..." (ang init). There was only one stand fan then.

I had been writing about Quirino and my fault is I kept on forgetting about her. Actually, I was giving myself more chance to gather good impressions about her. At the onset of the pandemic, I read shoutouts about her benevolence and when I check posts, I failed to find even a single photo showing her. Shoutouts about the food she shared also came from the frontliners of the town. What I read were sincere testimonies.

Many Maguindanao vendor friends and Christians who know the family told me, "simple lang ang bahay nila....at hindi ka magugutom kung nandoon ka dahil makakakain ka kung ano ang meron sila....wala silang pinipiling tao...). (Their home is simply furnished...you won't be hungry while there... whatever food they have is shared with visitors, whoever they are...),

The lady mayor is an Ilocana and hails from barangay Mangelen, her parents being among the pioneer families in that locality. She is an epitome of a person who has successfully blended the two major cultures in her person. I was greatly impressed when she thanked me with "Inshallah", as a closing statement in our very short exchange of pleasantries via the messenger...to which I now respond with...Allahu Akbar!...GOD IS GREAT!