Mintu Be

For tourism to be sustainable, it must be community-based and community-driven. Community-based tourism provides economic incentives for residents of poor rural communities to strengthen the protection of the natural assets which are the capital of ecotourism development. This is what he believes in. It is a convergence of people, nature, and places to the maximum. This, of course, necessitates politicians with a vision. Even if that politician came from far away Tanza, Cavite, or somewhere else. He is now 86 years old for he was born on January 26,1936.

During the incumbency of Mayor Godofredo “Doring” Mintu as local chief executive, he vied for a bankable ecotourism program for Sablayan. He looks forward to sustainable and pro-poor tourism programs which highly consider the plight of the people and their base resources as a barometer of its bankability. And many more projects, programs, and activities that this blog entry is impossible to accommodate because of lack of space. These are initiatives on health, social services, education, agriculture, the environment, especially infrastructure, name it.

Doring Mintu’s leadership and confidence in exploring possibilities even in the elevated and unchartered realm put the town in its right place under the sun. This is the role that the good mayor has chosen: a model municipality for the whole province to greatly consider. And he succeeded in many ways.

No doubt, Mintu is considered as one of the initiators of the municipality’s progress. A former sleeping town of Occidental Mindoro located at its geographical center. Famously called “Doring”, Mintu became the longest-serving mayor of Sablayan which became a first-class municipality during his tenure. His son, Board Member Edwin, is gunning for the vice-mayoralty seat this coming May.

After EDSA Revolution, Mintu was appointed mayor, got the mandate of the people through an election, therefore, served from 1986 to 1998. As one of the pillars of the so-called Dream Team of Josephine Sato and Ricardo “Ding” Quintos, he also won the mayoralty post in 2001 and served until 2010, and after that, he retired from politics. From 1998 to 2001, under Governor Sato, Doring Mintu served as her vice-governor and he made the whole town proud. 

Mintu and Sablayan are meant to be. They are destined for each other, like his wife Edna, the former councilor.

The businessman turned politician is also a sportsman, a good golfer at that. There is a golfers’ group called Alabang Club 515 in 2003. The group is named as such because the sun usually rises at 5:15 a.m. and golfers like to greet daylight with a tee shot. The club has 65 members who are a mix of professionals, senior executives, businessmen, and entrepreneurs including Mayor Doring Mintu of Sablayan. As a seasoned parbuster, he lives his life of service always in full swing. 

It’s Mayor Doring’s birthday today.

Hit ‘em straight, Sir, and Happy Birthday!

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