By Eva C. Visperas

 

I have almost forgotten how it felt to attend a Sangguniang Panlungsod session of Dagupan and leave with a light heart.

For the past three years, I stayed away from covering the city council. Not because I had lost interest in the goings-on of local governance, but because every session felt like walking into a storm.

What should have been a solemn space for public service turned into a battleground of hostility, insults, and political sabotage. At the center of that storm was Vice Mayor Dean Bryan Kua, ridiculed, cursed at, and publicly humiliated almost weekly by the majority bloc that stood on the opposite side of the political aisle.

Yet, never once did he break. He kept his calm. He showed up. And most importantly, he never lashed back.

Then came July 1, 2025 – the inaugural session of the 12th Sangguniang Panlungsod –  and the atmosphere was unlike anything I remembered. It was almost surreal. People were smiling. There were bursts of laughter.

Even the newly elected and re-elected councilors remarked that they no longer felt like dragging their feet into the session hall. The sense of dread had been replaced by peace, camaraderie, and mutual respect.

Dagupan has turned a corner.

Vice Mayor Kua, now serving his third and final consecutive term, stood before the body to deliver a speech that would move not only those present but also those watching from afar. He began not with bravado but with a heartfelt expression of gratitude – for being trusted, for being chosen again, for being allowed to serve.

And when he spoke of the pain he silently endured during his second term – of being falsely accused, disrespected, and broken down as a person – his voice cracked, and his eyes welled up. He wasn’t ashamed to cry. And neither were we.

It was a moment of truth and triumph. Kua’s speech reminded us all that leadership is not just about strength but about grace under pressure. He could have fought back, but he chose to rise above the hostility. He could have walked away, but he stayed the course.

And in return, the people of Dagupan rewarded him and his team – with a resounding mandate. Nine out of ten members of his slate won in the May 12 elections. It was a clear and deafening message: The people are done with division. They want unity. They want leaders who serve, not grandstand.

What makes this chapter in Dagupan’s story even more promising is that Vice Mayor BK is in full alignment with his political teammate, re-elected Mayor Belen Fernandez. This is a powerful combination – executive and legislative branches working together in harmony.

The city finally has the leadership synergy it deserves. No more infighting. No more shouting matches. No more paralyzed programs due to political posturing. What we have now is faster, more efficient governance that puts the welfare of Dagupeños front and center.

This is what good governance looks like: clear direction, shared vision, mutual respect, and people-first policies. There is new hope in Dagupan. With Vice Mayor BK and Mayor Belen at the helm of their respective branches of government, the wheels of public service are turning smoother and faster.

Initiatives that once stalled will now move forward. Projects that once faced resistance will now gain traction.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Dagupan may well be entering a golden age – a period defined not just by development, but by the quality of its leadership and the dignity of its politics.

Vice Mayor BK, with all his quiet strength, humility, and consistency, is not just presiding over a city council – he is leading a movement toward a better Dagupan.

His journey from ridicule to respect shows what true integrity in public service looks like. This final term, as he said, is not a goodbye, but a promise to finish what he began, with full devotion and no hesitation.

Dagupan, your time is now. Let this new chapter be written with pride, unity, and purpose. Because after years of noise and negativity, we finally hear the sound of progress – and it’s music to our ears.

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