by Dave Suan Albarado
Oftentimes, Ronie Orillosa may reap mixed perceptions about his quest for good governance; after all he chose to go up against titans in politics, whom he perceived to be not aligned with good governance. Orillosa shared his insights on his life and also his stance on politics and religion in a tell-all interview over Open Forum Program on Sept. 2, 2024. This is his story.
Orillosa got a taste of politics when he became the student body president of PMI Colleges, Bohol where he obtained his degree in Marine Transportation. After graduation, he braved the high seas as he faced the challenges of an International Seafarer enjoying the lofty pay he received every month. Indeed, he was a seafarer for five (5) straight years and went immediately into the international globe skipping and never experiencing the rigors of interisland voyages.
Even with his handsome career, he felt that he was called to serve the public. So he went back to dry land and left the big chance of becoming a Ship Captain of big vessels including the opportunity “to see the world for free”. For Orillosa, each person has his/her own destiny or vocation and it seemed that amidst the life of abundance as a seaman, he believed that travelling around the world needed to take a backseat so he could pursue what he really wants to do with his life, which is to be of service to others. He had his time as a seafarer but decided to take on a new path which to him is nobler. He wants to help, not only himself, but also the people around him.
He admitted that he has political ambitions but he is also convinced that the lack of political position is not a hindrance for his advocacy of good public service. He strongly denied the whispers that he will run in next year’s elections even if there have been influential people in Tagbilaran who have encouraged him to run for public office. He said that as of the moment, running for public office is not a priority as he makes himself ready to take on political challenges in the future.
His engagement as a student leader has made him confidently relevant to discuss matters on POLITICS and the involvement of RELIGION in the everyday life of a Boholano. In fact, Ronie (as he is fondly called by friends), has displayed the range of his ability to deduce current social and political situations when he talked about his views over the radio program. Speaking to Ardy Araneta-Batoy in The Bohol Tribune’s “Open Forum” over dyTR, Ronie said that while the Constitution pushes a separation of state and religion, there is no such thing as absolute separation between the two institutions. He added that the influence of both institutions on each other has been felt in the country since the Spanish colonial period. The Spaniards used religion to gain a foothold and colonized the Philippines for 333 years. He definitely believes that politics and religion play an important role in the lives of Filipinos.
In the said radio interview, he discussed the perfect traits of good politicians and one of these is to dedicate themselves to public service. Known for his exposès, Ronie skipped spilling some beans in that radio hour, NOT BECAUSE HE WAS AFRAID TO DO IT, but gentleman as he is, he wanted to keep with the tempo and nature of the said radio show. However, it was very glaring from the start of his interview until the end that he hopes for a brighter future for Bohol.
Now residing in Metro Manila and staying in his plush condo, he claims he is a true Boholano who has been keeping his connection with Bohol as he remains a registered voter in Tagbilaran City. He was raised in barangay Dao and in his growing up, he soaked the myriad of social struggles that pushed him to become a champion of good governance. He is no stranger to politics as he is related to the current barangay captain of Dao, Alberto Puagang. The latter’s wife is the sister of Ronie’s mom. He traces his Boholano lineage from his mother who is from Buenavista and his father who is from Calape.
He used to be a Sangguniang Kabataan official during the time of Mayor Dan Lim. And from then on, he never thought of leaving Tagbilaran City. He also shows his character as a patriot as he has been dedicating his life to exposing people in government who are allegedly committing irregularities in the exercise of their duties. To remember, Ronie hugged the limelight following his exposès on alleged anomalies happening at some offices here. And he does his whistleblowing role in the most articulate manner he could muster. As he walks his talk on good governance, he encourages everyone to keep the fire of love for country burning steadily and forever.
Meanwhile, Ronie also revealed that he was able to meet up with several barangay captains from Bohol and other places especially when a group was in Manila recently to attend the National Congress of the Liga ng mga Barangay attended by various village leaders including those coming from Bohol. It is a fact that he is always happy to share his time and blessings with any deserving Boholano he encounters. If we unlock testimonies of people whom he has helped and has been helping, several of them would come out into the open and unanimously speak good words about him.
If you are a man who is as brave, brilliant, and generous as RONIE ORILLOSA, you can’t help but cascade the tenets of leadership to the poorest among the poor in our society. With all these, one day and someday soon, he could be one of the successful political leaders of our province.
