Nagsilbi si Lucy Torres-Gomez bilang kinatawan ng 4th district ng Leyte sa Kongreso mula Hunyo 30, 2013 hanggang Hunyo 30, 2022.
Ang husband niyang si Richard “Goma” Gomez ay nanungkulan naman bilang mayor ng Ormoc City mula Hunyo 30, 2016 hanggang Hunyo 30, 2022.
Noong nakaraang taon ay nagpalit sila ng puwesto. Si Lucy naman ang umupong mayor ng Ormoc, samantalang si Goma ang naging congressman ng 4th district ng Leyte.
LUCY'S FIRST YEAR AS ORMOC CITY MAYOR
Kumusta na ang unang taon nila sa kani-kanyang bagong posisyon sa gobyerno? Naka-adjust ba agad sila?
Pahayag ni Mayor Lucy, “What I thought would have been a very strange world did not seem that way because I had two years of being based here during the pandemic, and always on the LGU [local government unit].
“So, nakikita ko na yung how an LGU is really run. So, parang hindi yung bigla-biglaan. There was actually a transition.
“And it’s really helpful because he built a really efficient team. And most of the projects or most of the programs that I have now are really just built up on the ones that he has established during his term.
“Tinuluy-tuloy because those are very strong programs, and everything was in place. So, built up on it lang.”
May sentimental factor kay Mayor Lucy ang pagiging “ina” ng kinalakhang lungsod.
Salaysay ni Mayor Lucy, “These are actually places like the plaza, those are places na noong bata kami, doon kami cheerleaders in school.
“And the church, doon kami nagku-choir. So it’s not just a place we want developed. I actually saw it during my time as a student, as a little girl.”
Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez, Vice-Mayor Leo Carmelo Locsin Sr., and other officials of Ormoc City
Nakapanayam ng Philippine Entertainment Portal (PEP.ph) at iba pang taga-media sina Goma at Lucy nitong Hunyo 26, 2023, Lunes ng hapon, sa office ni Mayor Lucy sa Ormoc City Hall.
RICHARD: FROM CHIEF OF STAFF TO CONGRESSMAN
Noong congresswoman pa si Lucy ay chief of staff niya si Goma, kaya hindi na nanibago si Goma sa mga responsibilidad sa Kongreso.
Sabi ni Goma, “Naging madali rin yung transition ko from mayor to Congress. Tapos nung time na mayor ako, marami akong sinet-up na mga programs but hindi Na ma-hit talaga yung term mo na three years. Sad to say, but it’s really short.
“Nagsisimula pa lang tumakbo yung programa mo, nag-eeleksyon ka na. Mabuti na lang, nandun si Lucy. Na-continue yung magandang mga programs.”
Action man si Goma. Hands-on sa mga ginagawa sa anumang larangan ang pasukin.
Lahad ni Goma, “I’ve always been very hands-on. Congress is a good plaform if you’re coming from being an LGU, ‘no. Executive, ‘no.
“Ang laking tulong ng pagka-mayor ko when I stepped into Congress. Kasi lahat ng ginagawa namin sa Congress, ini-implement lahat ng LGU.
“The same manner kay Lucy, lahat yun, na-experience niya lahat. Now that she is the mayor, ini-implement niya lahat nung mga ginawa nila sa Congress dati.
“What’s important, you understand yung trabaho, e. If you don’t understand what you’re doing, mahirap, e. Hindi mo alam kung saan ang direction mo.”
Magandang paghahanda sa pagpasok sa Legislature ang karanasan sa local government.
Pag-ayon ni Mayor Lucy, “Oh, yes! I always say na had I been a local chief executive first before I became a representative, I may have been a more effective representative.
“Not to say that I don’t honor the journey that it was for me, ‘no, for twelve years. But in hindsight lang ba, in hindsight.
“But having said that also, I appreciate also the work that I did in Congress in relation to the work that I do now as a local chief executive.
“So, pag pipiliin mo, ahhmm dapat ba nauna ako dun, parang I don’t think of it anymore that way.
“I just take it as ano, ito yung ganap ng palad.”
Noong Oktubre 19, 2022 ay in-appoint ng Malacañang si Mayor Lucy bilang chairperson ng Regional Development Council (RDC) ng Eastern Visayas. RDC co-chair si Leo Christian Lauzon bilang kinatawan doon ng pribadong sektor.
Saad ni Mayor Lucy, “More than ever, it highlights how we share so many of the same dreams. Iba-iba lang yung challenges, iba-iba lang yung priorities.
“But the dreaming part is the same, no matter where you are from — it’s always a better life, a better future.”
"EVENTS CAPITAL OF EASTERN VISAYAS"
Tinagurian ng Department of Tourism ang Ormoc City bilang "Events Capital ng Eastern Visayas."
Bongga ang highlights ng month-long celebration nila ng Piña Festival ngayong Hunyo. World-class!
Read: Miss Ormoc 2023, streetdance parade, at iba pang highlights ng Piña Festival
Vision and mission ni Mayor Lucy na mag-strive for excellence ang Ormoc sa iba’t ibang larangan.
Nakikipag-compete ba ang Ormoc sa Tacloban City? Pananalig ng iba, mas progresibo ngayon ang Ormoc kesa sa Tacloban, na capital ng lalawigan ng Leyte?
“Everything’s a matter of perspective,” pagmamatuwid ni Mayor Lucy.
“Going back to performers and performances — where I’m coming from, when I say na I want to give the people of Ormoc the best is because I remember growing up, malaking bagay na talaga sa amin yung Miss Ormoc, yung may pageant.
“And then, I would hear the adults after an event, how they would complain na parang feeling nila, minaliit sila ng performer because hindi man lang daw magbibihis.
“And this was the time na hindi talaga uso pa yung hindi magbihis. I remember, si Eva Eugenio was here and she was really dressed to the nine as if we were the most important audience.
“Yung mga ganun, and that was my first realization na wherever you are, how you dress up and how you conduct yourself is actually also how you show respect for that people.
“Parang pag may bisita raw tayo sa bahay, maghihilamos ka naman, di ba? Or magbibihis. Hindi mo naman sila basta haharapin lang, unless barkada mo.
“Parang… even when officials come, we always try to welcome them properly. We dress up in our proper attire because that is how we show our respect.”
GOMA'S FIRST YEAR AS CONGRESSMAN
Kumusta naman si Goma sa Kongreso? “OK naman. Yun, dalawa yung iniimbestigahan namin sa committee na pinupuntahan ko,” kuwento ni Goma.
“Of course, chairman ako ng Dangerous Drugs. And iniimbestigahan namin yung mga kalokohan ng mga pulis na na-involve sa drugs.
“At least, a lot of them are being charged already. May kaso na sila sa court and administratively. Siguro mabigat yung mangyayari sa kanila dun.
“And then the other one is yung fight namin sa environment in this area, against the abusive na mga officials.
“Kasi, bakit mo inuuna yung mga officials? Kasi, sila yung mga officials ang may power over other common people, e.
“If you abuse your authority, kailangan talagang mabantayan. Kailangang ma-stop yun.
“And if it’s destroying the environment, it goes against dun sa sinumpaan namin na mga public officials.
“Lagi kong sinasabi every Monday sa flag ceremony namin, talagang meron kang Oath of Office, meron kang oath sa watawat, may isang lingkod-bayan.
“And it always says there na, you know, isa kang makatao, isang maka-Diyos, maka-environment. So, these are all pledges that you give to your people.
“And if you are a public official and you abuse these, you destroy the environment… yun ang ginagawa ko sa Congress ngayon, medyo mabigat yung laban.”
Susog ni Mayor Lucy, “Yun yung for whom much is given, much is required, yeah.”
Enjoy si Congressman Goma na magtrabaho sa committee work.
Katuwiran ni Goma, “Kasi, dun nangyayari lahat ng aksyon, e. Dun makikita yung process ng paggawa ng batas, ano iyung pinag-uusapan niyo.
“Kunyari nag-i-investigate kayo. Bakit nag-i-investigate? Because may flaws sa batas na kailangang ayusin, and with this investigation, pag tama yung gawa mo, puwede mong ikorek yung batas.
“Puwede mong i-apply yung tamang law. Puwede mong ikorek. Kasi maraming faults yung batas.
“We need to create perfect laws. Kaya maraming nakakasingit-singit. So, yun ang ginagawa ng Congress.
“Every now and then, we try to tackle mga dating batas, magki-create kami ng mga bagong batas.”
ON ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Pagdating sa arts and entertainment, isa sa nagsusulong niyon ay si Congressman Toff de Venecia. Vice-chairman sa komite nito si Goma.
Pagsisiwalat ni Goma kay Toff, “He’s very active. In fact, sa Congress, marami kaming time na mine-meet sa movie industry, sa performing arts. Marami.”
Hindi pa rin nakakabangon ang mga pelikulang Pinoy na ipinapalabas sa mga sinehan. Ayon kay Direk Jose Javier Reyes na technical consultant ng Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), mula nang mag-reopen ang local cinemas noong Nobyembre 10, 2021 ay dalawang Filipino films pa lang ang tinangkilik nang lubos ng moviegoers — Maid in Malacañang at Deleter.
“The social media and streaming platforms are very strong and they’re cheap. They usually cost less,” pagbuntong-hininga ni Goma.
“When you see a movie, you spend more than P200 for one screening, unlike kung makasabit ka ng isang wifi dito, you can download movies and watch it for free.
“You can just relax and watch movies the whole night. Yun din lang talaga ang mabigat na fight natin.”
Maraming artista sa gobyerno pero hirap pa ring makabangon ang Pinoy movies.
“It’s a collective effort, e, ng mga artista. We need to reach a point na… we need to sacrifice a lot!” bulalas ni Goma.
“Like for example, mahirap lumaban sa ano, let’s say for example, royalties. Di ba?
“Or yung mga rights natin sa mga artista, na we need to work on it twelve hours a day. Anything more than that is abusive already. “
So what do you do? Hindi naman puwede na magwelga ka mag-isa. Magwelga kang mag-isa, hindi ka na kukunin ng producer.
“It has to be collective. Talagang sacrifice ng lahat yun. You want working conditions to be better — hindi puwedeng isa o dalawang artista lang ang lalaban dun.”