Hon. Silvestre T.

Lumarda
The Municipal Mayor of Inopacan

CASE STUDY

HONORABLE SILVESTRE T. LUMARDA

The Working Mayor of the Booming Municipality of Inopacan, Leyte

Corpez, Batayola, and Llano

2017

18
 Case Study:
THE WORKING MAYOR OF THE BOOMING INOPACAN, LEYTE
(Corpez, Perla P.; Llano, Lorna P.; and Batayola, Milagros B.)

The case assigned for our analysis was the lead story of Mayor SILVESTRE T.
LUMARDA, Mayor of the Municipality of Inopacan, a fifth-class municipality in
the Province of Leyte in Region VIII.

Internal Factor Evaluation

In analyzing the leadership style of Mayor SILVESTRE T. LUMARDA, we come

across several significant strengths and weaknesses inherent in the individual
(as case-study subject).

Strengths:

Experience / Family Background

Undoubtedly, Mayor Lumarda’s performance as a local executive of the Mu-
nicipality of Inopacan was greatly affected by his family’s cultural and philo-
sophical background. Born into an ordinary but socially-oriented clan, Lumar-
da was nurtured with his father on how to mingle with people even without
an idea of how to run a town politically but because of his incessant desire to
serve his fellowmen, he manages to go at the topmost kind of service which
is beyond the expectations of his opponents.

His parental guidance and his environmental background made him comfort-
able with people, honed his interpersonal skills, and perhaps even made him
generally likable. These have proven helpful in his political career. Mayor
Lumarda also had experience as a messenger, janitor, clerk, etc. in the Dis-
trict Office of the Department of Education for 21 years – this developed his
skills in general administrative tasks, people management, and basic human
relations. His work experience strengthened his personal will and character.

Hon. Silvestre T. Lumarda and his Wife Personality

Mayor Lumarda’s orientation toward people was clearly among his major
strengths. Through his personality, Lumarda was able to talk immediately to
his constituents – knowing at once what problems they had that affected
their daily affairs.

2 17
 CASE STUDY
gay captains, the full support of his friends and all constituents of Inopacan HONORABLE SILVESTRE T. LUMARDA
made him transform the town into where it is today... The Working Mayor of the Booming Municipality of Inopacan, Leyte
Corpez et al

Stories of leadership often come from the efforts of a man with enough
knowledge and master the field of managing his/her people.

This is the story of Mayor SILVESTRE T. LUMARDA, Mayor of the Municipality

of Inopacan, a 5th class municipality found in the Province of Leyte. Inopacan
has twenty (20) barangays with a population of 23, 604. In this story, we will
learn the step-by-step struggles of one who, from the depths of his humanity,
fought against the forces of change with his will and power gained from the
people that surround him.

The Mayor before Joining Politics

Silvestre “Loloy” T. Lumarda was born in Jimenez, Misamis Occidental. He was

born being the youngest in a family of seven siblings, four boys and three girls.
His parents were just an ordinary citizen of their barangay without the inclina-
tion to politics and so with his siblings. In other words, Loloy was not born a
politician.

After graduating from the University of Technical Institute in Cebu City as Ra-
dio Telegraphic Operator in the year 1970, Loloy met Madam Sol Compendio
in Cebu City and got married through civil rights officiated by a judge on
March 20, 1970. After their marriage Loloy planned to land a job abroad, how-
ever, his father-in-law “Pedring” Compendio – a retired Schools Division Su-
perintendent was against the plan because Loloy would be living far from his
family. His father-in-law counseled him not to go abroad because this would
be the usual cause of broken family especially that they were still very young
at that time. So Loloy and Sol supported and raised the family the best and
simplest way they could. Sol started as an elementary school teacher, then
became a school head teacher, a central school principal, a district school su-
pervisor, and retired as schools division superintendent. Loloy also worked as
a janitor, a clerk, a utility man, and a messenger at DepEd, Office of the Dis-
trict Supervisor for twenty-one years. It was his first and the last job before he
entered politics.

16 3

Loloy’s mix experiences in these nature of work – being a man of many er-
rands to accomplish and a lot of requests to perform as a janitor, utility man,
clerk, and messenger proved invaluable when he eventually entered public
service. Spending twenty-one years obeying errands, doing janitorial services,
etc. made him stronger and his attitude towards dealing with people shaped
him into what he is today. His nature of work, dealing with people from differ-
ent economic and social levels together with his conventional attitude -
“pakikisama” honed him to relate his people, listen to their stories, and un-
derstand their unique situation. Although Loloy was not born politician he
acquired important traits how to handle people or “pakikisama” from his fam-
ily who molded him as he grew. He can relate much with the poor and needy
in his community as he was born from a low profile family. Even while he was
still a janitor receiving a daily wage of two hundred forty pesos he still man-
aged to help the poor and the needy. Though he is not polished as problem-
solver or "troubleshooter" but his kindness to humanity made him famous
and outstanding local chief executive.
“Wala jud koy laing estratehiya sa pagdala sa akong katagi-lungsod kundi mao
ra jud ang PAKIKISAMA nila. Ako silang estorya-estoryahan, akong agbay-
agbayan, ug hangtud nga makahibawo kos ilang sitwasyon ug mga problema.
(I have no other strategy in dealing with my countrymen but one, and it is
COMRADESHIP. I put my arms around their shoulders, talked with them until I
know their situations and problems”).
Political Career
It was during the wedding of Madam Jeanette Abrantes and Francisco “Ejun”
Degorio – the couple of political engagement (before election) when two
Sangguniang Bayan (SB) members Pepe Lloren and Belo de los Santos, both
his friends encouraged him to run as SB counselor and with his willingness to
help his countrymen he immediately agreed and settled with the invitation
even without the knowledge of his wife, Sol, who during that time was in Ma-
laysia for further studies. He ran as SB member as a substitute of his father-in-
law who was already at the last term.
He ran from the opposition from 1992 to 2001 and managed to be included as
SB member even the fact that majority voted for the SB candidates of the
administration. On the first term, he ranked fifth, on the second term he
ranked second, and on the third term, he ranked eighth. Being the third ter-
4 15
ery, Tita’s Bakery and Dayka Bread).
Mayor Loloy humbly admitted that his intellectual capacity could not equate
to most politicians who are doctors, lawyers, etc. but he knew how to use his
humility in the delegation. He knew that if he can use it in the right way, then
it can be used to develop his people and the community. He knew that dele-
gation is not just a management technique for freeing up a mayor’s functions
but it is rather a strategy of empowering his people to come up with the best
strategy align to the common goal. There is a right or proper way to do it.
These delegation tips and techniques are useful for him and for anyone seek-
ing or being delegated with responsibilities. Delegation paired with close
monitoring and supervision made his management efficient and effective.
Mayor Loloy made use of his very effective skills in leadership. Generally,
Mayor Loloy is a savvy leader whose success is directly tied to his ability to
focus on the interest of his people. He is a strong and effective leader who
stresses fundamentals of management like discipline, accountability, strategic
alignment, managing values and empowering employees. Even though mayor
Loloy did not pursue a doctorate degree in public administration, he has mas-
tered the six basic functions of management: leading, planning, organizing,
staffing, controlling and communicating. When Mayor Loloy was asked how
did he do it, he simply answered that his clear and effective communication
which he believed as the most important key to great leadership.
Overall, things are looking up, for Inopacan, and for Mayor Silvestre T. Lumar-
da. He is a focused and hands-on mayor. He has a fuller understanding of
which directions to choose in the wider sense he knew that being in focused
can improve his ability to devise a strategy, innovate, and manage the munici-
pality. His ability was paired with his system thinking where he looked at the
whole municipality. Focusing on the future with his capacity to imagine and
articulate exciting future possibilities perhaps his one of the most important
virtue being a leader, next to integrity and resourcefulness. Yes, honesty and
integrity were treated by the mayor and held in high regards is absolutely
essential for success in all the areas of life including the organization he leads.
Having honesty and integrity not only creates value in every communication,
but it also leads to building the foundation of trust and confidence. For him,
honesty does not just imply a refusal to lie, but it does to live life with fairness
and straightforwardness. He also believes that integrity is also an important
virtue of a leader which implies the quality of possessing and steadfastly ad-
hering to high moral principles. So, with the full support of his family, espe-
cially his wife and his children, the unity of the SB members and all the baran-
afternoon, seeing him sweep the ground himself. He and the Inopacnons are
very proud of the achievements of Inopacan under his reign being awarded as
“One of the Cleanest Town in the province of Leyte”. With his eco-friendly
advocacy, he implemented the MRF (Material Recovery Facility) and the Solid
Waste Management all throughout the twenty barangays, making it a contest.
He gave an award to the most outstanding implementer. The municipality of
Inopacan enacted Ordinance No. 00-02, which promotes segregation and
cleanliness in the entire municipal jurisdiction of Inopacan to ensure public
health. The said ordinance is very essential to the Solid Waste Management
Drive, Cleanliness and Health Protection Program and thus should be strictly
implemented all throughout the 20 barangays of Inopacan. In line with this
municipal ordinance, all barangays created a resolution approving the adop-
tion of the municipal ordinance 00-02 to ensure and maintain a safe, healthy
and clean environment. This strategy reaps a good result making Inopacan the
Cleanest Municipality in the whole Leyte.
He is such a diligent mayor who is very much willing to serve. His eagerness to
serve the Inopacnons made himself a man of virtue. He possesses the kind of
leadership which can be used as the best example. He encourages others to
join and expand the culture of service throughout his municipality. He has the
ability to ignite the glowing spark of every public servant to help his advocacy
even to the lowest level – to the level of every household. He inspires his peo-
ple. He is an epitome of an outstanding servant – the real essence of politics.
He managed to change the outlook of his constituents which brought about
by his inspiration. Though this entails thoughtful planning and sensitive imple-
mentation, and above all, consultation with, and involvement of, the people
affected by the changes, still the desire to evolve and his desire to be the in-
strument of change. The change was achieved, Mayor Lumarda considered
the fact that people resist at first if you force them to change and normally
problems arise. He imposed realistic, achievable and measurable objectives
upon his campaign. These aspects were very evident in the strategy of the
working mayor. He successfully convinced the investors to an established
business in the municipality. With Mayor Loloy’s strategy, he successfully en-
couraged the following investors during his time to establish business in the
municipality like the two gasoline stations (FIRM Fuel, and Petron), three res-
taurants (Lil Italy, Boardwalk, and Kan-anan), two hotels (Jyn’s Hotel and Casa
Kadijja), Four Pawnshops (Palawan Pawnshop, MLhuillier Pawnshop, Ormoca-
na and Cebuana Lhuillier Pawnshop), OCCCI Bank, and seven bakeshops
(Bread Express, Via Mae, Em-em’s Bakeshop, Francis Bakeshop, Shiela’s Bak-
14
mer of the said position, he tried to run as Vice-Mayor independently in the
year 2001 as his eagerness to continue his service to people. Again he man-
aged to go up to the last term. In 2010, he won the position of a town mayor
considering the fact that he was mocked by opponents as “the janitor who
contested a doctor”. On his last term, nobody ran for the opposite party. He
made a history of Inopacan politicians, being three-termer SB member, three-
termer Vice-Mayor, and three-termer Mayor, and when somebody asked for
his strategy… he always answered humbly that it is through comradeship or
pakikisama.
When Loloy became Vice Mayor, most of the basic necessities were not avail-
able to the people of Inopacan. Potable water was difficult to access in many
parts of the municipality. Accessibility of many barangays was cut off due to
lack of passable roads, thus reducing the people’s ability to bring farm goods
to the market while the town reclamation area was left unfinished.
Loloy saw the need to devote his time and energy as Vice Mayor to putting up
the needed physical infrastructure to deliver basic necessities to the people, a
priority that he continued to focus on when he became Mayor in 2010. How-
ever, being the leader of a 5th class municipality, Loloy had one basic prob-
lem: the municipal government did not have enough fund. Total tax revenue
per year was just about P5 Million before his management and now year
2017 the total income of the town reaches to more than P9 Million per year.
The money it received from the National Government through the Internal
Revenue Allotment was distributed to Salary 70%, Development Plan Project
20%, GAD 5%, and DRRM 5%. Given the needs of the municipality, such funds
were clearly not enough.
Major Issues and Problems
Very impossible for a leader to come up with drastic change with the lack of
resources. One of the major problems of the municipality of Inopacan is the
lack of a source of funds. He knew some solutions to the problems but to re-
solve such issues would need a huge amount of money. So, slowly he started
at the very level of the people's source of income. When people already
reached the stability of their income, they could afford to educate and feed
their families. People of Inopacan in the remote and mountainous barangays
previously live in abundance of abaca where fibers are exported to different
parts of the world. The crisis started when plantations of abaca were attacked
by virus locally known as “ogpong” and eventually made this industry down.
5

Vegetable Plantation of the Residents of Cabulisan, Inopacan, Leyte
So, to resolve such problem, the mayor with the help of the agriculturist, ex-
tension workers, etc. of Visayas State University (VSU) conducted a seminar to
all residents of the mountainous barangay with ruin industry of abaca to shift
from abaca to vegetable farming. Inopacan is one of the two municipalities in
the Philippines as the pilot project of a foreign-funded project SEARCA lead by
the VSU president Dr. Jose Bacusmo. This was all about reforestation and veg-
etable gardening, bananas, and root crops production like “estaring”, a com-
mon name for a species of Gabi which made the town a supplier of the above-
mentioned products to the neighboring towns like Hindang, Hilongos, Baybay,
and even across Cebu. SEARCA project provided free seeds, seedlings, free
seminars, and technical assistance to farmers promising them to enjoy the
benefit of having a daily income of vegetable compared to that of abaca in
which they can only harvest abaca once a year.
The mayor established a “bagsakan or tabo-an”, a place whereby all people
meet to buy and sell any goods especially the products of the vegetable plan-
tation of the people of Inopacan. It started with training and seminars for the
farmers, then the construction of farm to market roads to provide accessibil-
ity of the delivery of produce. With these, the people of Inopacan started to
provide daily support to their families, since the people at the mountainous
barangays had already their daily provision for their family.
6 13
talk, giving them pieces of advice like a father or a family friend. One hundred
sixty-seven drug users had approached the police station and three drug push-
ers were held captive and put to jail. The imprisonment of the drug dealers
made the town at peace.
The Greatest Challenge
While it is true that at the start of his term, Mayor Loloy recognized that the
greater need of the people was the provision of basic services and infrastruc-
ture, it is also true that when he started as mayor, he thought that this was
the main, if not the only, responsibility of a local chief executive. His greatest
challenge is his fervor ideals of providing a visible project which will mark the
change of the town from fifth class to a third class municipality. He managed
to unite the SB members and even the unity of all barangay captains, even the
captains of the opposing party. Here we see the key leadership approach shift-
ing from transformational to instrumental. This is because of his ability to lis-
ten and debate. He does not merely listen and simply deliver ideas, but he is
always ready to engage in debate around ideas and open to listening to every
suggestion.
Overcoming Problems and Issues
Mayor Loloy, when asked how he overcame all problems and issues, how he
had surmounted it, he simply replies that all because his service is not just a
calling from his constituents but also a calling from God. He also added that
his decision of doing such is not coming from his own but from God. He be-
lieved that he is a candidate chosen by the people and a vocation which he
believes is the one supreme who made all things possible.
Learnings and Insights
He is a hands-on mayor…
As early as six in the morning everybody can see him roaming around the ba-
rangays of the municipality even in the far-flung barangays where projects are
on-going. He humbly travels using his motorcycle trying to monitor projects.
He used his motorcycle in doing this because he wanted that anybody can see
and call him anytime especially if there are problems and issues in the location
he is visiting. He initiated the segregation of garbage. Many people witness his
initiative in the cleaning of the Bay Walk early in the morning and late in the
individual, it is developed and improved by the LGU. So, the LGU invested in Accomplishments
the development of this tourist destination. Today, the island had already
electricity provided by a solar source, cottages, and toilets. Moreover, the One of his most visible accomplishments is the transformation of the Inop-
development of the Cuatro Islas greatly improved the livelihood of Inopac- acan town hall into a splendid, colorful, with a well-lit plaza where all the
nons. Business-oriented constituents invested for passenger boats creating community’s activities are conducted. It was started by the previous mayor
job opportunities to some Inopacnons. with the skeleton of the framework only, and it was finished during his reign
with a budget of 31 million. Inopacan town hall’s blessing was on December
Problems 6, 2012, wherein all the people of Inopacan were invited to celebrate since it
was also the date of Inopacan Founding Anniversary.
His first problem is the source of funds to realize his plans. Being a visionary
leader, Mayor Loloy had many plans for improving the municipality. On his
first term, his main problem was the source of funds. He had a hard time con-
vincing the congressman and the governor to help the municipality financially.
As time went by, he showed his best and gained the trust and confidence of
the political personalities and made his vision realized.

Now, he is continuing his struggles and happy to notify the public that the
municipality has the ongoing projects such as the three-story evacuation cen-
ter worth five million, converting the old municipal hall as lodging house for
tourists worth 4.5 million, water system improvement worth twenty-eight
million, concreting the road of remote and mountainous barangays of De los
Santos and Caminto worth 1.7 million, and concreting the barangay road of
Sitio Bijaong of Barangay Conalum worth 1.7 million.

He also publicized the incoming project of the municipality which funds are
already downloaded. These are the tourism building worth 5 million from Inopacan Town Hall
Governor Petilla, Concreting of barangay road of Linao which is worth 11 mil-
lion, dike construction of barangay Can-angay river worth 3.7 million, leveling
The blessing marked his first remarkable accomplishment during his first
of the other side of the market worth 3.5 million, and concreting of the baran-
term. In front of the New Inopacan Town Hall is the newly renovated and
gay roads of Taotaon to Macagoco worth 49 million. This ongoing projects and
newly landscaped Rizal Park. Behind the New Town Hall is the two-hectare
incoming projects made him realized that the source of funds is not anymore
reclamation area where Inopacan View Walk is located. It is his another pro-
a problem.
ject that garnered praises and admirations to most of his constituents.

Issues
Common knowledge to every Filipino, the rampant crimes of the country is
mainly due to drugs. The drug is the country’s menace. Drug dependents, drug
users, drug addiction are few among drug-related issues. Nowadays, the drug
problem in town has died down and become silent. When asked how he did it,
he simply answered that he approached each one and have a heart to heart
12
Loloy also organized the vendors in the municipality like for example the fried
chicken stands are located in one place. In this strategy, all vendors can offer
the same prices. In like manner, the “bagsakan” or “tabo-an” is located in one
portion of the 2-hectare reclamation area of the town. It is the project of the
previous mayor but finished and utilized as such by Mayor Silvestre T. Lumar-
da. All produce of the municipality from vegetables, root crops, bananas, as
well as fishes and kinds of seafood from the three islands of Inopacan and
7
one island of Hindang deliver their goods in the tabo-an of Inopacan. Another
product from the islands is “Romblon” – locally known as “lilas” a kind of Eco-tourism Project
palm used for mat weaving, kinds of seafood (shells, salted and dried fishes,
clams, squid, octopus, etc.) are similarly delivered to tabo-an also.
Inopacan has one
barangay island
name Apid which
comprises the two
small islets the
island of Digyo and
Mahaba. These
three islands pos-
sess long sandbar
and very fine white
sand with the crystal
-clear blue sea-
waters. In addition,
Products from the four Islands beautiful corals and
The same is true of different colorful
people in the moun- fishes under the sea
tainous barangays. can be explored
They also deliver while snorkeling.
The Cuatro Islas of Inopacan and Hindang, Leyte
their goods or
products to the
The local government unit
“bagsakan” or tabo-
develops the three islands
an. Such goods are
and promoted it through
root crops (sweet
social media until KMJS
potato – locally
(Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho)
known as camote,
program of GMA network
taro like Gabi and
channel seven featured the
staring, gingers, cas- Vegetables Products from Cabulisan, Inopacan, Leyte Cuatro Islas counting the
sava, etc.), bananas
other island of Hindang -
of different species (saba, launder, stanfilco, etc.), and vegetables (pechay,
the Himokilan. This added
cabbage, Chinese pechay, carrot, ampalaya, eggplant, tomato, squash, water-
popularity of the town to
melon, chayote, pepper, onions, spring onion, string beans, Baguio beans,
all tourists throughout the
mungbean, etc., Fruits like avocado, caimito, etc.). The products from the
world. The island of Digyo –
coastal barangays are eggs, chicken, pork, beef, etcetera. Such products are
the smallest among the
displayed at the tabo-an as the market place whereby people from other
three is unoccupied by hu-
towns buy and sell their goods. With this, the town earned income from the
man inhabitants. Although
taxes of businesses the constituents engaged in.
Sandbar of Digyo Island Digyo is owned by a private

8 11
 The mayor initiated
the advocacy to all his
This View Walk serves as the waiting place for the local and foreign tourists in constituents regarding
going to the Cuatro Islas. This project has a total budget of 3.76 million in the said ventures till it
which half million came from the provincial budget through Governor Jericho reaches to nearby
L. Petilla, the governor of Leyte; three million came from the local fund, and towns. Establishment
260 thousand came from private donations. Inopacan Bay Walk is officially of floating restaurants
known as Inopacan View Walk since Inopacan is not a bay, however people of like Lil Italy, Kan-anan,
the locality call it Inopacan Bay Walk as they patterned it to Manila Bay, so and Boardwalk which
now it is popularly known as “Inopacan Bay Walk”. are located in the said
reclamation area.
He also organized the terminals of multi-cabs, tricycles, and “habal-habal”. These establishments
Multicabs and tricycles are means of transportations along the highways and Floating Restaurant attracted people from
along the access roads, while “habal-habal”- the two-wheeled motorcycle nearby towns due to the newly constructed View Walk like Manila Bay Walk,
with extension seats are the means of transportation to people from the people come here to hang around, breathe the fresh air and watch the lovely
mountainous part of the municipality. People from the mountains make use of sunset feeling safe with the friendly people around. People love to watch the
this means of transportation in delivering their products from farm to market. fascinating view along the horizon here the four scenic beauty of the Cuatro
Islas are.
Another project of the mayor during his first and second terms were the fol-
lowing”: repaired the dike along the bay walk which is 4.9 million, concreting
of the municipal streets, Rizal Park renovation, Construction of Drainage Ca-
nal, Farm to market roads (Cabulisan to Marao) which is 13 kilometer,
(Esperanza to Conalum) which is used to connect people from their farm to
the highway, bridge connecting Barangay Marao and Can-angay, Box Culvert
of barangay Marao, Concrete road of Marao connecting Taotaon as another
farm to market road since it will connect to the highway along Taotaon. The
mayor did not only focus on infrastructure but also the health of his constitu-
ents. He initiated the renovation of the Health Center and constructed a pub-
lic Comfort Rooms, provided Core shelter to 310 families, four units dump
trucks for Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM), five-speed boats, and
the 2-million public cemetery of the municipality. He also assisted barangay
initiated a project like the covered court of barangay Tahud, Can-angay, Es-
peranza, Guinsangaan, and Hinabay.
He also created a livelihood project for the people in the islands by developing
them into a tourist destination. People in the islands had come up with a liveli-
hood and income generating ventures by way of passenger boat-making as
well as designing and creating souvenir items for the tourists in addition to
fishing and mat weaving.

Inopacan View Walk located at Inopacan Reclamation Area

10 9