Man of Action: Richard "Dick" Gordon
Richard Gordon or commonly known as Dick Gordon is best known as a man of action. He started his political career in 1971 when he was elected as a con-con delegate for the 1973 Philippine Constitution and was the youngest delegate in the said convention. In 1980 he became the mayor of Olongapo City which was at that time known as a "sin city", but after 3 of his first term Olongapo City was recognized as a "model city" by raising police accountability through I.D. systems, proper health and
sanitation, waste management and the strict observance of color-coding
in public transport. In 1991 he led the nationwide rally for the retention of US Bases in Subic bay because it generates a large income for Olongapo City, in the same year Olongapo faced the wrath of the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo but despite the pull-out of the US Base in Subic and the Pinatubo eruption, his leadership in the city made it strong despite the challenges it faced. The withdrawal of the Americans from the U.S. naval base in Subic
meant the loss of over 40,000 jobs for Filipinos who were employed in
the said base. To address the problems that Olongapo faced at that time, Gordon led the citizens of Olongapo to mobilize and lobby for the
inclusion of a free port concept into the national legislation for the
conversion of the U.S. bases. The effort was successful, with the
inclusion of the establishment of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone
(also known as the Subic Special Economic Zone) in Section 12 of
Republic Act No. 7227, otherwise known as the Bases Conversion and
Development Act, which was approved on March 13, 1992. Section 13 of the
same legislation also provided for the establishment of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), which was tasked to administer the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Volunteerism and the high civic spirit of the host community marked the pioneering efforts at conversion. In the 1996 APEC Summit, 18 world leaders were impressed with the facility and Subic became a new investment hub in Southeast Asia. Bluechip companies like FedEx Express, Enron, Coastal Petroleum now El Paso Corporation, Taiwan computer giant Acer and France telecoms company Thomson SA
invested US$2.1 Billion in the freeport reinvigorating the economy and
creating 200,000 jobs replacing those lost during the US Navy
withdrawal.
In 2001 after his removal as the chairman of SBMA, Gordon was appointed as the secretary of tourism by Gloria Arroyo and under his leadership in DOT, he conceptualized the country's tourism campaign WOW Philippines. Despite of the negative effects of 9-11 attack and several kidnapping cases in the country tourism arrival increased heavily. Gordon also encouraged domestic tourism by holding regional events and having provincial destinations showcased at Intramuros and the rationalization of Holiday Economics.
In 2004, Gordon ran for the Senate and in his term he was able to pass these laws:
- Automated Election Law
- WWII Veterans Compensation
- Tourism Act of 2008
He was also the chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee that led the investigations to Fertilizer fund scam and NBN ZTE Deal
The best credential of Richard Gordon is being a volunteer of Philippine Redcross for the past 43 years. You can see that when calamity hits the country, Richard Gordon was there to save lives. In Volcanic Eruptions, Earthquakes, Floods, Typhoons, Bombings, Stampedes, Terrorism and Kidnappings Richard Gordon is there to help.
Dahil para kay Gordon ang pag-gogobyerno ay pagbibigay buhay, HINDI hanap Buhay
"Ang kailangan trabaho ng inyong lider:
Kapag medyo napipilay, patindigin niyo!
Kapag nakayuko, patanguhin niyo!
That is a business of a true leader in this country!" - Richard "Dick" Gordon
To know why should you vote for Dick Gordon, watch this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tVX5TSyvmo