MAYOR CAJES, THE ONLY MAYOR winning the 2020 CSC SEARCH FOR OUTSTANDING GOVERNMENT WORKERS AWARD
In a virtual awarding ceremony for the winners of the 2020 Search for Outstanding Government Workers conferred by the Civil Service Commission, one name seemed to have stood out: the name of Mayor Judith Del Rosario – Cajes!
This is a fact that Mayor Cajes is the only mayor to have been selected as one of the regional winners in the Region 7 Pagasa Category, Search for Outstanding Government Workers under its Honor Awards Program.
This does not come as a surprise, having known that Mayor Cajes was in the same list of CSC Pagasa Regional Awardees in the years 2016 and 2017, making this latest award as her third in the same category.
Before her present stint as a local chief executive, Mayor Judith Del Rosario – Cajes sported the title as the former first lady of the Second District of Bohol and loving wife to then Congressman Roberto “Ondoy” Cajes.
But Mayor Cajes has since been carving a name for herself. This feat started when she first threw her hat into the political arena and became a public servant in 2007. From that time until at present, Mayor Cajes has been proving her ability to cope well with challenges and demanding situations in a spirited and resilient way – in the name of servant leadership.
Mayor Cajes was recognized by the Civil Service Commission particularly for her success in making Trinidad Municipal College (TMC) as one of the Leading Higher Education Institutions in Region VII. Trinidad Municipal College is a local college that has gained popularity by rising from the ashes. From offering only 3 two-year courses and almost filing for bankruptcy, Trinidad Municipal College was made an Economic Enterprise for the Municipality. In the year 2009; and in the second year of Mayor Cajes’ first term, she wisely decided to transform the local college into an Economic Enterprise of the Local Government Unit (LGU) through a Municipal Ordinance.
The decision paid-off. Trinidad Municipal College now has a total of seven (7) courses with government authority issued by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
Under the dynamic leadership of Mayor Judith R. Cajes, TMC evolved physically and academically to meet the standards of the dynamically changing world of education and employment.
Today, TMC, by virtue of RA 10931 provides free quality education not only for the students of Trinidad but also students from different Municipalities in the Province of Bohol and from nearby provinces. Trinidad Municipal College has a total enrolment of 5,300 students in all seven (7) baccalaureate degree programs as of the first semester of Academic Year 2020-2021 and generated income close to P 58 million for the calendar year 2020.
With the surging enrolment of TMC, various businesses have also thrived within the community, such as: boarding houses, restaurants, stores, and internet cafes, among others.
The number of public transportation vehicles has also increased. These contributions have somehow resulted into the elevation of the income classification of the town from 4th class in 2006 to 3rd class in 2013. In fact, Trinidad’s total income would qualify to ne in the 1st class income category based on the Department of Finance Order No. 23-08.
The Municipality of Trinidad stands proud as it congratulates Mayor Cajes for the transformative service she has been giving to the town and its people. Trinidad, once a sleepy town, with a measly annual budget of P 35 million in 2007 soared economically when Mayor Judith Del Rosario-Cajes assumed Office.
Even when faced with economic struggles during this pandemic, Trinidad, under the leadership of Mayor Cajes has shone through. Trinidad now has an annual budget of close to P 200 million for the year 2021.
As Mayor Cajes enters her last term, she leaves a lasting legacy to her people and her country. With thousands of students benefiting from free quality education, she is now determined to provide a better platform for learning, by focusing on the expansion of Trinidad Municipal College, something we will all look forward to in the coming years.
Trinidad Mayor, Judith Cajes
Former Cong. Roberto Cajes and Trinidad Mayor Judith Cajes
Mayor Cajes comforts a constituent
Mayor Cajes (third from left) engages in a conversation with diginitaries.