Like Father, Like Sonny

The expression “like father, like son” is used to describe a son who takes after his father in some way, either in terms of appearance or behavior. But in the case of Santiago “Tiaging” Javier, Sr. and Santiago “Sonny” Javier Jr. of San Jose, it was an example where a public servant passed on the tradition to his son and namesake who followed his footstep in politics. In the political history of the town, the reality of having two politicians who share the same name is a rare phenomenon.

Their Mangarin origin

Based on many historical accounts, Mangarin is one of the oldest settlements in Mindoro, and in the 14^th century, it was greatly considered the center of trade between the Chinese and the Mangyans, the first inhabitants of the island. The settlement first appeared in history in 1679, when friars from the Order of Augustinian Recollects "established" it.

It was the midpoint of the municipal government during the American occupation but when the municipality of San Jose was created in 1910, the seat of power was moved to Pandurucan where it is situated today.

Santiago “Tiaging” Javier Sr. grew up in a big but poor family before the war in that fishing and farming community in the southern tip of the municipality though he was born in Pandurucan-Central, the site of the then Philippine Milling Company or the Sugar Central, on June 25, 1927.

Tiaging shouldered the responsibilities of helping his parents and siblings. “Tatay had a challenging and difficult life but it was not a hindrance for him, instead he tried his very best to make out of it,” says Dette Javier- Haug of his late father who served as a member of the provincial board of Occidental Mindoro. Ms. Haug now resides in the City of Ulm in Germany.

At that time, the whole province is not yet divided into two provincial districts. Unlike today that there exist two districts: District 1 is composed of Looc, Lubang, Abra De Ilog, Paluan, Mamburao, Sta. Cruz and Sablayan while District 2 is made up of Calintaan, Rizal, San Jose, Magsaysay. Before, the candidates for the provincial council coming from San Jose for instance, as an “at-large” district, are elected by the voters from all of the municipalities of the province.

“The election of Tiaging to the provincial political seat can be attributed to his teacher wife who had a swarm of relatives from the province’s northern municipalities especially on the island of Lubang and Paluan. The former Remedios Villar, Tiaging’s wife, is part of the well-known and pioneering Tria clan of Occidental Mindoro,” says Jimmy “Usog” Dela Cruz, a former teacher and local media practitioner and a previous municipal councilor and a barrio-mate. Incidentally, Jimmy “Usog” already filed his certificate of candidacy, seeking to return to the legislative halls next year. Moreover, the late Mrs. Javier, or Meding to his coterie of friends, was in the teaching profession for many decades and became well-known in the academic sector. She even became district supervisor of the San Jose East District of the Department of Education and it is her birthday now, November 5, and she would have been 94 today.

Tiaging became the trailblazer in the place in such an accomplishment. Since then, this old place in Occidental Mindoro became a seedbed of local politicians like his brother Ulysses and his son Sonny. Ulysses Javier, past councilor, ex-barangay captain, and the erstwhile board member, will again try to come back to the provincial board next year. Aside from the Javiers, the other politicians from the place are brothers Polding and Jimmy “Usog” Dela Cruz, Nathan Cruz, the incumbent councilor Arnel Argame, and Warren Sales, councilor aspirant for the next local polls and Mangarin’s former barangay captain. Sonny was born there on Dec. 17, 1963.

Here comes the son

Santiago Jr. only entered politics years after his father retired as a provincial board member in the 90s. When his father is already ill and aging, his only son Santiago Jr. or Sonny, took the helm and managed their family farm in Mangarin and elsewhere. He is a mechanical engineer by profession but he opted to manage the Gessnec, their family enterprises, and a business landmark in downtown San Jose. It is one of the successfully managed establishments in town. But people from practically all the barrios know him as one toiling in the fields, a farmer. He is married to Aurora Javier (nee Corpuz) who gave birth to their four big boys. 

Politics came knocking on his door in 1997 when he was first elected as barangay kagawad of Labangan Poblacion where their ancestral house in the town proper is located. He is a two-termer barangay kagawad and served until 2013. SB Member Sonny Javier was first sworn into municipal office in 2013 and now completing his full three terms as councilor. He reached this far like his father due to his diligence and humility. When he was first elected to the municipal council, residents from a place called Arik-ik (now called Antipolo), the hilly part of Mangarin, were amazed how the lowly farmer they always saw in the field made it to the town’s legislative body.

At present, Konsehal Sonny chairs the Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation, and Facilities. His milestone legislations consist of ordinances and resolutions in line with his committee.

Ms. Haug further stressed, “Sonny is by nature so helpful and with a big heart. It hurts him to see our people suffering from natural calamities especially during the time of the pandemic.” To his siblings, friends, and constituents, Councilor Sonny is a man who truly values reputation, accomplishment coupled with fear and obedience to the Creator.

Education, above all

All of his sisters are supportive of him, be it in material and moral terms. Since Sonny’s early years in politics, his sister, Dr. Eva Javier Bansil, an obstetrician now residing in San Fernando, Pampanga, has continuously extended educational assistance to less fortunate but deserving pupils of Mangarin. Their parents always tell their children that the best help they could give is by helping the poor kids in their studies.

“As his children, we are so thankful, proud, and lucky to have an education. This is the priceless legacy our father left us,” Ms. Haug says in recollection of her old man. The education that we have, along with his example of displaying faith in God by keeping your family intact and by serving the needy. God, Family, and Community are the focal themes of the pursuit of education and faith as what their parents always reminded them. Dr. Bansil and her late husband Dr. Arce Bansil showed unconditional love by taking care of their tatay until he yielded to lingering illnesses on January 9, 2012.

­Vice-Mayor Aspirant

Without a doubt, Ms. Haug believes that Konsehal Sonny is trying his very best to make his father proud of him. Especially his pop’s humility and firmness. Like his dad Tiaging, Sonny is a man of the masses and does not speak ill of anybody. His father too was a man of peace and has never been involved or suspected in any violent confrontations.

Santiago Javier Sr. helped Santiago Javier Jr. shape a political conviction by the way he molds his son’s personality towards his sustaining and developing social awareness. According to Konsehal Sonny in one of our chats in the past, as a chief legislator, the vice-mayor needs to lead the law-making process for we need laws to facilitate, enforce, protect, and resolve conflict for the greater good, rather than to benefit the few. With that, the vice-mayor must have the utmost character and untainted name deserving to the role of a leader in lawmaking, he told me. He already had a short stint in the position when he was appointed as acting vice-mayor in 2019. He learned a lot from that shift, he added.

Sonny is very much like Tiaging not only because they share the same name or they are a father-and-son. They are both men of integrity and can easily mingle with people from all walks of life.

Councilor Sonny Javier already filed his Certificate of Candidacy (CoC) and is ready to face all the odds this coming 2022 elections as vice-mayor of his town of birth, San Jose. The town that gave him and his father a great reason to live and the equally great opportunity to serve.

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Photo: Dr. Tilmann Haug