ALAMINOS CITY—This city, home of the famous Hundred Islands, has a new mayor possibly the youngest city chief executive elected nationwide in the May 13 polls.

Twenty-two year old Arth Bryan Celeste garnered 22,498 votes while his closest rival had 19,452 votes in a three-cornered mayoralty fight. All the candidates under his ticket, except for one, won.

Last year, he ran and won as barangay captain in Magsaysay, Alaminos City, then elected as city president of Liga ng Barangay and eventually as provincial federation president of the Liga ng Barangay. He is thus called Board Member, being an ex-officio member of the provincial board of Pangasinan.

He said he is excited for his new position and feels a bit pressure. “There’s pressure but I’m excited for it,” he said.

Inspired by his father, outgoing Alaminos City Mayor Arthur Celeste, he knew that it was a matter of time before he joined politics. “It’s something I wanted to try and experience,” he said.

He said he campaigned hard for 45 days and walked 291 kilometers for his house-to-house campaign from March 29 to May 11. “From Manila to Alaminos City is only around 250 kilometers,” he said laughing.

How should his constituents address him? “I prefer if they just call me by my first name so we’re on the same level,” he said.

When he checked if he is the youngest elected mayor in Monday’s polls, it appears he is.. ”It’s also a feat to be have been elected as the youngest city mayor nationwide,” he added.

Will his father shadow him? “Although he will still be around to guide me, I want to run my city in a similar way my dad ran it but you can tell the difference that it’s not Mayor Art Celeste who’s running it but it’s someone who is Bryan Celeste”.

What will be his priority? “To empower the youth more, it’s more pro-active,” he said. ”To focus on youth and youth development,” he added.

“I have to be the leader for the youth of Alaminos City and I want to show them that we can be better than our parents,” Celeste said.

The young Celeste said he ran his own campaign as his dad was busy campaigning for himself, too, for his gubernatorial bid but failed.

He said when he assumes his post on June 30, he wanted to be “the cool mayor”, the kind that everyone can get along with but with limits. Celeste graduated last year at De La Salle University with a Business Entrepreneurship degree. (PhilStar Wire Service)

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