Jose Chubasco "Batchuk" Cardenas

Mayor Batchuk has been exposed to the political world at a young age—his late Dad and his mother both former mayors of Canlaon City—but he didn't think of public service as his top-of-mind. "I dreamt of having a vast land, of having an agricultural business. I never dreamed of becoming a mayor because I was the last to enter politics in our family. If my father was alive today, I am sure I'd never indulged in politics." 

 

Indeed, there's no denying that Mayor Cardenas comes from a well-known political clan. Still, he repels from the traditional system, driven by his vision, enthused to establish his mark. While he shies away from the limelight, he always seems to be talked about—not because of trivial matters—but due to the public governance style he is carving along with his team. 

 

Branded as SALTA Canlaon which stands for Services Always Lavishly and Timely Availed or in Bisaya, Serbisyo Alang sa TAnan, Mayor Batchuk's administration aims to provide swift and speedy services to the community so the people of Canlaon will not need to impatiently wait for the realization of their requests and the fruition of valuable government projects.

 

Of course, steering such a change wasn't a walk in the park for Canlaon's aggressive yet tactful leader. Mayor Batchuk had to lead with a firm hand to drive the transformation, influencing the LGU employees to be positive change stimuli. The Mayor said, "At the start of my term, the most challenging issue that I had to deal with is how to change government workers' behavior. As a leader, I always wanted to impose the strict implementation of the law. For one, I am strict about punctuality. Of course, I have to change myself as well. I have to change for them to see that I always lead by example." 

 

One of the most notable transformations that Mayor Batchuk has piloted is changing the mindset of the people working in the LGU. He proudly quips, "It cannot be denied that all government employees have changed under our administration. Their work ethics have improved, and they are now cautious on how to maximize their time and be 100 percent productive on a daily basis." He further emphasized that this change, of course, would not be possible if he didn't lead by example. "I do not want to give orders when I myself cannot follow orders as well. Now that the employees can see that I am walking my talk, we are all able to give our 100 percent for the government."