In his inauguration speech last year, Biñan City, Laguna Mayor Gel Alonte pledged for a government that is “makatao at makatarungan.”
One year onwards, and Alonte himself believes that Biñanenses finally have a full understanding of what his “Galing at Epektibong Lingkod” brand of leadership meant.
For the city executive, he has definitely gone a long way from his first days as a leader of one of Laguna’s most progressive cities.
“Talagang nangapa po tayo, pero at least now, nakita po ng ating mga kababayan kung ano po tayo nagpursige upang ma-improve ang mga services na ibinibigay ng ating pamahalaan para sa kanila,” Alonte recounted in an interview with OpinYon Laguna.
And while he, like all first-timers, had been subject to lapses in his first year as Biñan City mayor, Alonte found the challenges of the previous year as learning experiences for him to grow, both personally and as a public official.
“Yung mga konting may lapses ako before, at least naitatama ako, na-improve ko. Tapos nagagawa natin nang smoothly ngayon. Nakagawa tayo ng mga programa, mas nakakapag-isip tayo na mas tingin natin makakatulong sa ating mga kababayan. At mararamdaman po nila,” he emphasized.
Social services
Improving the city’s social-welfare services has been one of Alonte’s top priorities right from the moment he took the helm of leadership in Biñan City.
And the first year of Alonte’s leadership has been off to an impressive start, based on data provided by the city government to OpinYon Laguna.
From July 2025 to June 2026, the city government has provided medical assistance to 6,308 Biñanenses under the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA), while 473 residents received burial assistance and 670 residents received free eyeglasses.
Meanwhile, under the Tatak GEL social services program, a total of 25,120 Biñanenses received free legal assistance, while 1,640 residents became beneficiaries of the city's Health Assistance Program for Indigent Families (HAPI) Card program.
The city's expanded Iskolar ng Biñan (INB) program also saw 2,234 Biñanense students receiving financial assistance for the academic year 2025-2026, up by 33 percent from the 1,682 student-beneficiaries recorded for the previous academic year.
And this year, the city government will soon start distributing free PE uniforms and GO bags for public-school students in Biñan City from kindergarten to Grade 12.
"This year po, sisimulan na natin yung uniforms at GO Bags. Tapos pinag-aaralan rin po natin pati ang pamimigay ng libreng raincoats para sa ating mga estudyante para sa tag-ulan," Alonte bared.
The city executive said the city’s more efficient and streamlined processes has enabled them to provide various forms of assistance to a greater number of Biñanenses.
“Lagi ko ngang sinasabi, at mga taxpayers na talagang yung mga pinabibilis lang natin yun yung parang upgrade na ginawa ko tapos yun nilagyan natin ng sistema na para at least mas madali. Hindi na papatagalin kasi sabi ko hindi na natin papabalik-balikin ang ating mga kababayan, so mas pinabilis yung sistema,” he emphasized.
Challenges
If there was a trial by fire for Biñan’s new chief executive, it was the months-long series of thunderstorms and weather disturbances that left certain portions of Biñan City flooded for months.
A true leader, it has been said, is tested the most in times of need – and Alonte bravely rose to the challenge.
Not only was the city government able to provide help for residents affected by the floods, Alonte was able to devise innovative solutions that enabled the city government to resolve the issue of flooding.
This innovative solution – pumping water from the Mariano River to Laguna de Bay – was credited for easing the hardship of residents of Barangays Malaban and Dela Paz last year.
And for this year, Alonte said plans are now underway to provide concrete, long-lasting solutions to flooding in the city’s coastal barangays.
“In fact, nagkaroon na po tayo ng public consultation sa Dela Paz for the pumping station, isang proyekto po ng ating Congressman Arman Dimaguila, na approved na po ngayon,” the city executive reported.
“Tapos may gagawin na po tayong drainage plan para sa Barangay Dela Paz, at ngayon pa lang, nagsasagawa na po tayo ng declogging sa ating existing drainage system bilang paghahanda sa tag-ulan.”
What next?
Now that the first seeds of “Galing and Epektibong Lingkod” had been firmly planted, one question Biñanenses are sure to ask is: What else can we expect from Mayor Gel Alonte?
The answer? A lot, according to the city mayor himself.
For instance, one big-ticket project of his administration, the Biñan Cancer Care Center, is now slated for completion by the end of this year.
That same timeline is expected for another major infrastructure project, the Biñan-Carmona Link Road that is expected to ease mobility between Laguna and Cavite and bring added investment and employment opportunities.
The Biñan City LGU is also looking into leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and digital systems to promote accountability, transparency and efficiency in government transactions and public services.
“Innovation for the services. At least ngayon, iiwasan natin [ang inefficiency]. Mata-track na lahat, digitalization ng ating mga city departments,” Alonte said.
Hands-on leadership
While Alonte believes that he can still improve some aspects of his leadership style, he expressed his confidence that his hands-on style of leadership – a trait he had learned early on in his days as the city’s vice-mayor – has helped him cope with the challenges of his first year as city mayor.
Alonte also credits his attitude of correcting mistakes early on that has ensured that the city government of Biñan can follow through with his “Galing at Epektibong Lingkod” leadership style.
“Ang lagi ko pong sinasabi, kapag may mali, punahin na ninyo kami, para at least ma-correct na natin hanggang maaga. Hindi yung papalakihin nila yung sunog bago pa sila magsasabi,” he explained.
“Saka willing pa rin naman ako to listen sa magiging suggestions kung ano pa pwede nating maitulong o madagdag na programa na magawa natin para sa constituents.”
(Photo courtesy of the Office of Mayor Gel Alonte/Arcin)
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