Mauricio Domogan

Mauricio Domogan
Mayor of Baguio
Incumbent
Assumed office June 30, 2010
Preceded by	Reinaldo Bautista
In office October 24, 1992 – June 30, 2001
Preceded by	Jun Labo
Succeeded by	Bernardo Vergara
Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from Baguio City
In office June 30, 2001 – June 30, 2010
Preceded by	Bernardo Vergara
Succeeded by	Bernardo Vergara
Vice Mayor of Baguio City
In office June 30 – October 24, 1992
Member of the Baguio City Council
In office June 30, 1988 – June 30, 1992
Personal details
Born	October 10, 1946 Quirino, Ilocos Sur
Political party	Timpuyog Ti Baguio (UNA)
Other political affiliations	UNA (since 2013) Lakas-CMD (2004–2009)
Spouse(s)	Rebecca Napeek
Children	Janice Marie Domogan Jillian April Domogan Joy Allison Domogan
Occupation	Politician
Profession	Lawyer
Religion	Episcopalian

Mauricio G. Domogan (born October 10, 1946) is a Filipino politician. A member of the Lakas Kampi CMD party, he has been elected to three terms as a Member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, representing the Lone District of Baguio City. He first won election to Congress in 2001, and was re-elected in 2004 and 2007. Prior to his election to Congress, Domogan served three terms as mayor of Baguio City from 1992 to 2001.

He reclaimed his mayoralty post in Baguio City after winning the 2010 elections.

Early life and career

Born on October 10, 1946 "Morris" is a true Cordilleran who traces his roots to the remote sitio of Bab-asig, Patiacan, Quirino (formerly Angaki), Ilocos Sur and within the boundaries of Besao, Mountain Province and Tubo, Abra.

Orphaned at an early age, Domogan and his sister Juana struggled to survive and overcome the hardship and many challenges during his youth. He hiked barefoot a two-kilometer trail to go to school everyday until he graduated at the Patiacan Elementary School in 1961. He did odd jobs at the Lepanto, Mankayan, Benguet. He became a rondalla band member, a utility aide and janitor to support himself in college. He finished Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Baguio (formerly Baguio Tech) in 1969 and Bachelor of Laws at the University of Cordilleras (formerly Baguio Colleges Foundation) in 1973. Remembered by his law professors as the student with a "splendid memory", Morris took and passed the Bar Examinations given in the same year of his graduation.

As a new lawyer, Atty. Mauricio G. Domogan embarked upon building a strong foundation in his law practice by working in defense of the rights of laborers. He worked as counsel for employees unions, such as the Lepanto Employees Union, the BPI Employees Union, the Baguio Country Club Employees Union, the Hyatt Terraces Employees Union, the Associated Labor Union, and the Pines Hotel Labor Union, among others. He rendered services as legal counsel to traders in the city market through the Domogan Law Office which he established.

Councilor and Vice Mayor

Morris began his political career as a councilor of the City of Baguio from 1988 to 1992. Impressed by his humility, honesty, and genuine service, the people of Baguio elected him vice mayor in May 1992. But as destiny willed it, he never served as vice mayor. It is because 15 minutes after taking his oath as vice mayor, he took his oath as acting mayor. He served as acting mayor from July 1, 1992 to October 24, 1992, when he assumed as the real city mayor by virtue of the disqualification of then elected mayor Jun Labo, who was disqualified by the Supreme Court due to his being an Australian citizen.

Mayor (1992–2001)

Domogan’s first term was marked by the start of the Herculean task of rehabilitating the city after the July 16, 1990 earthquake in cooperation with then Congressman Bernardo Vergara, the other city officials, city residents, and national leadership. Massive reconstructions of the city roads, buildings and other infrastructures continued during his second and third terms. These included the modernization of Marcos Hi-way, the Baguio-Tuba-Itogon-Sablan-La Trinidad (BLIST) circumferential road, and Naguilian Road, the repair, rerouting, declogging and construction of the drainage system of the City Camp Lagoon, among others. In addition, Mayor Domogan orchestrated the twin drive of cleaning and greening the city, making it the "Cleanest and Greenest Highly Urbanized City" in the country for three consecutive years, elevating the city to the Hall of Fame Award category with a total monetary award of 5 million pesos, which was used to purchase garbage trucks. Moreover, Mayor Domogan was able to lead the city in garnering the highest award that the national government could bestow to a local government unit, namely, the GAWAD PAMANA NG LAHI AWARD for two consecutive years, thereby elevating the city, once again, to the Hall of Fame Award category

Some of the significant awards received by Mayor Domogan are the following:

1. LINGKOD BAYAN AWARD which was personally presented to him by President Fidel V. Ramos on the occasion of the 95th Anniversary of the Philippine Civil Service on September 1995;
2. MOST COOPERATIVE LOCAL CHIEF EXECUTIVE AWARD from the National Meat Inspection Service, Region I, Agoo, La Union on October 9, 1995.
3. LIKAS YAMAN AWARD from the DENR-CAR, June 5, 1995;
4. SPECIAL KALAKBAY AWARD from the Department of Tourism, September 27, 1996;
5. SELECT OUTSTANDING INDIGENOUS LEADER(SOIL) of the Philippines- Cordillera Administrative Region, February 26, 1996;
6. In 1998, he was awarded a DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREE, Honoris Causa by the University of Baguio in recognition of his GOOD GOVERNANCE OF THE CITY OF BAGUIO.

House of Representatives

Being barred by the constitution to run for his fourth consecutive term as mayor, he instead ran as congressman for the Lone District of Baguio City in 1998.

During the 12th Congress, Congressman Domogan was able to file twenty (20) bills as main author and fifty (50) bills as co-author. Eleven of these bills have become laws of the land (Republic Acts). part of his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), was devoted to programmed projects benefiting his constituents in the Barangays, public schools, poor but deserving students, indigent patients, livelihood projects, and computerization program on a continuing basis for elementary and high school of Baguio City.

Knowing the problems of the City during the rainy months, he prioritized the dredging, revitalization and construction of the drainage system in the central business district, thus effectively solving the age-old problem of flooding at the foot of Session Road as well as the rehabilitation and repair of the biggest drainage system of the City from the Athletic Swimming Pool to the Rabbit Sink Hole. Cognizant of the City as a tourists destination, he campaigned to entice more visitors to come to Baguio City. He Supported the Baguio City Police Office in its security concerns to provide a safe haven to tourists in the City. He provided the impetus to successful tourists-oriented activities such as the Panagbenga Flower Festival, Salad Bowl Festival, and the Summer Vacation Activities.

Achievements

Because of his consistent good performance and hard work during his 1st year in Congress, he was recognized and awarded as one of the 2001 Ten Outstanding Neophyte Congressman by the Congress Magazine, Berhad Holding Investment, Reserved Soldiers Union, and Makati Graduate School. The same award was given to him in 2002 and 2003 as one of the Ten (10) Most Outstanding Congressmen.

His 100% attendance as certified by the office of the Secretary General capped his performance during the 12th Congress.

During his 13th Congress, Congressman Domogan was appointed and served as a worthy member of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal. He was also Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Amendments, and member of eleven (11) other committees.

Like his single-minded effort to rebuild a better Baguio from the rubble after the killer earthquake when he was Mayor of Baguio City, as Congressman, he has painstakingly drafted a bill that will update and upgrade the old charter of the City of Baguio. He has introduced House Bill No. 3617, An act Revising the Charter of the City of Baguio, currently with the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.

As in the 12th Congress, Congressman Domogan continued to be very productive in legislation, authoring and co-authoring numerous bills, actively participating and supporting House of Representatives resolutions and delivering timely privileged speeches on subject matters specifically affecting his constituents and generally those of his region and the Filipino people as a whole. In 2006 for instance, he called attention to the skyrocketing prices of cement and urged for the conduct of an investigation in aid of legislation on the matter. He also denounced the unfair advertisement in the internet that insidiously identified the threatening virus of meningococcemia with the Lions head at Kennon Road and the world-famous Banawe Rice Terraces as backgrounds of the ad of Global Vaccine Express published in Philippine Star, page 10, April 2, 2006.

Congressman Domogan continues to practice transparency in allocation and utilization of his CDF/PDAF which is used to fund priority projects identified by the barangays, the City Development Council, Baguio City District Engineering Office, DPWH to supplement and complement the funds of the City Government for information technology equipment and other multi-media paraphernalia, livelihood projects, medical assistance to local government units, among others; and HARD projects which include construction, rehabilitation or completion of roads, bridges, multi¬purpose buildings, school houses, drainages, etc.

He has also gone out of his way to look for and get funding from other sources to augment and support the City's development projects.

With this impressive performance and track record, it is not surprising that Tongressman Domogan has continued to reap awards, such as the following:

1. The Most Outstanding Congressman Award from the Metropolitan Press and radio TV Club of the Philippines, Inc. given in 2004;
2. He was also given recognition as 2004 Congressional Hall of Fame Awardee for having been repeatedly proclaimed Most Consistent Outstanding Congressman for Four (4) consecutive years by the Congress Magazine.
3. In 2006, Congressman Domogan was installed into the EMERITUS CONGRESSIONAL HONOR for having been adjudged MOST OUTSTANDING CONGRESSMAN for five (5) consecutive years.

In May 2007 he was again re-elected as Congressman for the Lone District of Baguio City and his Committee Memberships, are as follows:

1. House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal – House Contingent Head;
2. Vice-Chairman – Committee on Justice; Committee on Youth and Development;
3. Member – Committee on Appropriations; Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms; Committee on Local Government; Committee on Constitutional Amendments; Committee on Public Works and Highways; Committee on Good Government; Committee on Ethics and Privileges.
4. Special Committees: Northwest Luzon Quadrangle Bases Conversion

On February 3, 2009, the Province of Ilocos Sur, his home Province, bestowed him the Fr. Jose Burgos Achievement Award for Public Service due to the enumerated achievements. This is the latest prestigious award he received.

Mayor (2010–present)

Being barred by the constitution to run for a fourth consecutive term in the Congress, he decided to reclaim his post as Mayor of Baguio City for the 2010 election. He successfully reclaimed such post.

References

• "Member Information: Mauricio G. Domogan". House of Representatives of the Philippines. Retrieved March 5, 2008.

External links

• http://mauriciodomogan.com/