There’s a third man in Baclayon’s mayoralty ring. Make no mistake that, again, the perennial protagonists, in Baclayon storied rivalry is still between the Uys. This time, a new name is entering the fray and he is no pushover in terms of logistics and all the things election are made up. No stranger in his barangay of Sta. Cruz, Phil Ibao, may be unknown in some parts of the town but it did not deter him to try his luck in Baclayon politics if only to prove to every Baclayanon, that he too gets what it takes to be elected as the next mayor of the town. Just how sincere this Baclayon native of his plans to run the affairs of the town if given the nod of the electorate?

By the looks of it, there’s no quarrel that he is serious and it can be gleaned from the circumstances that he is up to en route to the May 13 polls. For starters, every nook and cranny of the town’s 17 barangays are already blanketed with his propaganda materials announcing his mayoralty bid. In due time, the newbie candidate will shower the electorate of election flyers. And if by chance any Baclayanon will see in mock wonder, why service vehicles like a Montero, a Hummer and a Chevy Suburban, ask no question because they belong to the new candidate in town. As if to prove that he is serious in his ambition to run for mayor, the candidate in tandem with his wife Dr. Pamela Loy, a dentist, is buying a seaside property in Laya to the tune of P14 million. The house, used to be owned by a German national, is up for sale, prompting the Ibaos to grab the opportunity, to deliver the message that they are staying in the town for good.

For another, the family also bought a property in San Juan Buenaventura, measuring six hectares, to serve the interests of their grandfather to build retirement homes in the highlands of Baclayon. The grandfather who refused to be named has shown particular attention to the vast areas found in upland Baclayon to build affordable homes to all kinds of retirees—from OFWs to retired policemen and teachers. The grandfather who is an investment banker reportedly owns a ranch in Australia. Said to be of Chinese-Tausug descent, the grandfather was convinced that Phil Ibao is the best man for the job after being appraised of his grand plans to transform Baclayon into a progressive municipality. The Tausug blood of his wife helps explain why this self-made man from Sta. Cruz earned his pile in Sultan Kudarat in Cotabato. While in that Cotabato province, the Ibaos are into small-scale mining earning them enough wealth to live a comfortable life. Engaged in the mining business of extracting copper and manganese deposits in the towns of Esperanza and Bagumbayan in Sultan Kudarat, the family earned considerable riches that it can afford to splurge on luxuries like running for public office. It has been said that the truth of the pudding is in the eating. If so, then, Phil Ibao is subjecting himself to the full sunburn of politics in the coming mayoralty derby in historic Baclayon.