AT 3 pm, whatever he does, he puts it down, gets out of his office, and prays with his staff members the Hour of Great Mercy or The Three O’clock Prayer.
As a rule, he does not take office appointments on Wednesdays. The day is devoted to meetings with his poor constituents. It is his people’s day.
On Saturdays, he goes to the barrio with local bureaucracy to bring local government services to the communities.
The demeanor of Mayor Klarex Uy is so hoi polloi. His personality is easily relatable by the common tao.
His detractors portray him as a simplistic populist politician who depends on his consultants for important decisions. They can never be nearer the truth. Although he lacks the sophistication of his predecessor and delivers his speeches in Bisayan, Mayor Klarex Uy knows the rigmarole of local governance.
His point of view from the masses is impeccable.
Every Wednesday, he meets an average of 500 individuals, each of them carrying their life’s burden – from hospital bills, medicine receipts, unpaid school fees, burial problems, and family feuds to asking for assistance in paying the manalabtan (those who recite the prayer for the dead).
I asked him if it does stress him out. “Kapoy man, pero kalipay ko lang gyud makatabang. Pasalamat ko sa Ginoo nga iya akong gihataban sa grasya gikan sa kahitas-an aron makatabang,” (It is tiring, but it gives me joy to help. I am just grateful for the grace from heaven so I can help.), he quipped.
The celebration of the feast of Saint Augustine reminds me of the values he promoted. For me, humble and generous leaders epitomize Mayor Klarex Uy.
According to an article by Albert Esmeralda OSA, Augustinian Values:
“Humility and charity characterize the Augustinian value of service. It is humble service because it is done in the spirit of gratefulness and in recognition that the service owed to God must be rendered to man. It is generous service because love does not count the cost.”
Friendship and truth-telling would be next to humble and generous leadership. The man values relationships. For him, personal relationships matter. He would take the extra step to develop relationships even with those whose loyalties are suspect. He is a unifying leader.
I was reluctant when he tasked me to be his spokesperson on political affairs and issues. And then he said: Istorya lang gud ta unsa ang tinuod.
It dawned on me he was right.
So far, his administration is far from perfect, but he does not mind asking for apologies to the public for shortcomings. The responsibilities he took when he became mayor of one of the fastest-growing cities in the country have never been easy.
Early on, we thought presiding over the economic recovery after Covid-19 paralyzed the economy was the most complicated. But when the audit report that contained a mouthful of observations on questionable transactions and projects from way back two administrations at City Hall came out, housekeeping emerged as the most daunting. He is not complaining. It is the other side of continuity.
Mayor Klarex keeps a positive outlook; change is never easy.
