Mayor Muloy Festin was street-smart in the ’60s and ’70s before venturing into politics. I believe that his early years on the streets helped shape him into the public servant he eventually became. As a “man of the street,” he had the practical know-how to navigate everyday life, especially in challenging and unpredictable situations.
Mayor Romulo “Muloy” Festin succumbed to a long, lingering illness and passed away on May 23, 2025, at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City. He had filed to run for mayor again in the last election but was unable to campaign due to his declining health.
He was a walking resident registry—he practically knew everyone in the community, every nook and cranny, and every inch of the landscape of the province, especially in his hometown, Pandurucan. Sharp and quick-witted, Muloy entered politics in the late ’80s. He once joked that, after so many years in public service, he had developed a sixth sense—he could tell what his constituents needed even before they said a word.
Romulo “Muloy” Festin was elected board member from 1988 to 1998, serving a full decade. He was then elected vice mayor of San Jose from 1998 to 2001 and re-elected from 2001 to 2004. He served as mayor from 2004 to 2010. Though he lost to Jose Villarosa in 2010, he made a strong comeback in 2013 and completed another three-year term, which ended in 2022. These are the so-called “Muloy Moments” that mark his long-standing imprint on the province’s political history.
Mayor Muloy was firm and resolute. He stood by the fishermen during the infamous Gem-Ver sinking incident in 2019 in the West Philippine Sea, openly opposing Malacañang’s pro-China stance. In an interview with ABS-CBN, Festin suggested the ramming of the Filipino vessel may have been intentional and called on the government to take strong action to prevent similar incidents.
As a public servant, Muloy had a deep understanding of people and a sharp intuition for reading situations. His wisdom came not from formal education but from lived experience. He got things done—not always by the book, but always by the will of the people. He is greatly remembered as the one who brought back the power to the people.
Mayor Muloy Festin served his beloved San Jose with heart, grit, and vision. Though he is no longer with us, his legacy endures—in the town he helped shape and in the countless lives he touched. He will be profoundly missed.
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(Photo:
PhilStar)