Edward S. Hagedorn
Encyclopedia
Edward Solon Hagedorn is the mayor of Puerto Princesa City. He was first elected mayor of in May 1992, when the city was still capital of the island province of Palawan
, in the Philippines
. In 2007, Puerto Princesa was declared a highly urbanized city and became independent of the province.
Hagedorn is best recognized as one of the more successful progressive local leaders of the Philippines with his passion and dedication towards the protection of the environment. Hagedorn’s leadership is directed towards establishing a harmony between the environment and development. The mayor has established the City of Puerto Princesa as a model of eco-tourism for the country.
Hagedorn completed his education from St. Andrew's School of Parañaque, San Sebastian College - Recoletos
and from the University of the East
in the City of Manila.
When Hagedorn was elected as Mayor of Puerto Princesa City in 1992, he also served as an Assemblyman of the Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development (SPCD), a body created during the term of President Corazon C. Aquino which was tasked to oversee the establishment of an autonomous region for Muslims in Mindanao
and it included Palawan island.
He also served simultaneously as mayor and as a Representative of the League of Cities of the Philippines
for Region IV and member of National Executive Board of Boy Scout
of the Philippines.
Under his leadership, Puerto Princesa was transformed into one of the more famous eco-tourism destinations in the Philippines. The city is also a global model for environment protection, elevating the city into the Hall of Fame as the Philippines “cleanest and greenest” component city and winning several global recognition and awards in the process.
Based on the Philippine Constitution of 1987, Hagedorn was prohibited from running for a third three year term on January 30, 2001 but after an election recall led by Puerto Princesa’s Barangay
leaders against the incumbent mayor who replaced Hagedorn, the Supreme Court of the Philippines
on November 12, 2002 issued a landmark decision allowing Hagedorn to run again as mayor of the city.
On September 2005, Hagedorn was appointed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
as the “anti-jueteng
czar”, charged to oversee the government’s efforts to clamp down on the proliferation of the illegal two-numbers gambling. Hagedorn was given the task of creating a legalized and government form of jueteng
called Small Town Lottery or STL
With the following concepts:
Palawan
Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...
, in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. In 2007, Puerto Princesa was declared a highly urbanized city and became independent of the province.
Hagedorn is best recognized as one of the more successful progressive local leaders of the Philippines with his passion and dedication towards the protection of the environment. Hagedorn’s leadership is directed towards establishing a harmony between the environment and development. The mayor has established the City of Puerto Princesa as a model of eco-tourism for the country.
Early life and career
Edward S. Hagedorn was born in the then municipality of Parañaque, then under Rizal Province on October 12, 1946 to Alexander Hagedorn and the former Gliceria Solon. He married Maria Elena Marcelo and the couple have two children, Eva Christie S. Hagedorn and Elroy John S. Hagedorn.Hagedorn completed his education from St. Andrew's School of Parañaque, San Sebastian College - Recoletos
San Sebastian College - Recoletos
San Sebastian College – Recoletos de Manila or commonly known by their nickname Bastê, is a Catholic institution of higher learning in the Philippines...
and from the University of the East
University of the East
The University of the East is a private nonsectarian university located in University Belt Area, district of Sampaloc, Manila, Philippines. The university was founded in 1946 as a coeducational institution...
in the City of Manila.
When Hagedorn was elected as Mayor of Puerto Princesa City in 1992, he also served as an Assemblyman of the Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development (SPCD), a body created during the term of President Corazon C. Aquino which was tasked to oversee the establishment of an autonomous region for Muslims in Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
and it included Palawan island.
He also served simultaneously as mayor and as a Representative of the League of Cities of the Philippines
League of Cities of the Philippines
The League of Cities of the Philippines - or more simply the League of Cities or LCP - is a formal organization of all the cities in the Philippines...
for Region IV and member of National Executive Board of Boy Scout
Boy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
of the Philippines.
Under his leadership, Puerto Princesa was transformed into one of the more famous eco-tourism destinations in the Philippines. The city is also a global model for environment protection, elevating the city into the Hall of Fame as the Philippines “cleanest and greenest” component city and winning several global recognition and awards in the process.
Based on the Philippine Constitution of 1987, Hagedorn was prohibited from running for a third three year term on January 30, 2001 but after an election recall led by Puerto Princesa’s Barangay
Barangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
leaders against the incumbent mayor who replaced Hagedorn, the Supreme Court of the Philippines
Supreme Court of the Philippines
The Supreme Court of the Philippines is the Philippines' highest judicial court, as well as the court of last resort. The court consists of 14 Associate Justices and 1 Chief Justice...
on November 12, 2002 issued a landmark decision allowing Hagedorn to run again as mayor of the city.
On September 2005, Hagedorn was appointed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
as the “anti-jueteng
Jueteng
Jueteng is an illegal numbers game played in the Philippines. Jueteng originated from China and means "flower" and "bet" . Although illegal, it is a widely popular game with participation that crosses most, if not all social and economic boundaries, played by rich and poor alike...
czar”, charged to oversee the government’s efforts to clamp down on the proliferation of the illegal two-numbers gambling. Hagedorn was given the task of creating a legalized and government form of jueteng
Jueteng
Jueteng is an illegal numbers game played in the Philippines. Jueteng originated from China and means "flower" and "bet" . Although illegal, it is a widely popular game with participation that crosses most, if not all social and economic boundaries, played by rich and poor alike...
called Small Town Lottery or STL
Leadership Initiatives
- Oplan Linis Program (Clean and Green Campaign) - Launched on August 1, 1992, the program aims to sustain cleanliness, beautification, and sanitation in the city through active and continuing partnership among government agencies, non-government organizations, the private sectors, and citizens. The program has earned for Puerto Princesa the coveted label of being the cleanest and greenest city in the Philippines.
- Bantay Puerto Program (Puerto Princesa Watch) - Protect + Rehabilitate + Plan - These are the program’s key management thrusts. Protect what is there, rehabilitate what has been destroyed, and plan for the intelligent utilization of the city’s terrestrial and marine resources. This is the life cycle that the program envisions for the community to achieve sustainable development.
- Comprehensive Housing Program - Puerto Princesa’s vast land area and its rich terrestrial and marine resources have become like magnets that attracted a lot of in-migration from all over the country. They came in droves and squatted in public and private lands whose owners either did not care or know. Majority of them, being fishermen, chose the coastal areas for being closest to their source of income.
- Agriculture Program - Puerto Princesa City is primarily an agricultural economy. It is almost self-sufficient in food, except for a few varieties of vegetables. Metro Manila’s ten million population get their fish and other marine supplies from the city in particular and Palawan in general. To improve the farmer’s quality of life, however, there exists the urgent need to introduce productivity enhancement programs.
- Education Program - To highlight the importance that the city government attaches to education as playing a pivotal role in the city’s future development, Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn launched the City Education Enhancement Program. The project intends to improve the standard of education within the service area of the city government by identifying and prioritizing the establishment of schools, and organizing a continuous training scheme for schoolteachers in the city.
- Health Program – When illness strikes and there is no one to turn to for help, people are tempted to resort to illegal means for remedy. For farmers and fishermen, for example, the seas and the forests become attractive sources of fast buck. To dispel the temptation, the City Government has undertaken effective and efficient health services.
- Infrastructure Program – Under the leadership of Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn, Puerto Princesa witnessed a boom in both horizontal and vertical constructions, implemented with the ultimate goal of boosting the economic development of the city, at the least possible cost.
- Livelihood Program – “Kaunlaran” (Development) or economic development is the last of the three K’s (the first two being “Kalinisan” or cleanliness and “Kapayapaan” or peace and order) that Mayor Hagedorn has promised the people of Puerto Princesa. This is the most difficult and challenging task that the mayor has put before himself but has achieved a degree of relative peace in the city, making it one of the safest destinations in the Philippines.
- Tourism Program - Puerto Princesa City was a place no one really bothered to know, except of course the Puerto Princesans. What little that people knew about Puerto Princesa were mostly conjured images of a not-so-wholesome place like being the abode of prisoners, and where malaria abounds, but Hagedorn has built an image for the city as a place to go for eco tourism, seeing a developing city yet maintains a balance with nature, a city in the forest.
- E-tricycle - On January 19, 2007, Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn unveiled the environment-friendly and economical electric-powered “Trikebayan” (which does not emit any noise or carbon monoxideCarbon monoxideCarbon monoxide , also called carbonous oxide, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities, although it is also produced in normal animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal...
) at the Kapihan sa Sulo forum, Sulo Hotel, Quezon CityQuezon CityQuezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...
. The Trikebayan costs only P 48 or $ 1.20 per day to operate, while a gasoline-powered tricycleTricycleA tricycle is a three-wheeled vehicle. While tricycles are often associated with the small three-wheeled vehicles used by pre-school-age children, they are also used by adults for a variety of purposes. In the United States and Canada, adult-sized tricycles are used primarily by older persons for...
operation would cost P 200. Rolly Concepcion, who conceptualized the Trikebayan, said that converting a tricycle engine to electric costs P 68,000. The 36-watt rechargeable battery under the passenger seat can run for 12 hours.
Vision
- “To see Puerto Princesa as model city in sustainable development.”
With the following concepts:
- A park-like city demonstrating balance and harmony between development and environment;
- A center for eco-tours, healthful recreation, applied research on ecology, ecosystem, marine and terrestrial flora and fauna and environmental management;
- A home for disciplined inhabitants who are responsible stewards of the city’s ecological system and resources; their quality of life improved as they enjoy directly or indirectly the bounties of nature and the fruits of their labor; and;
- Its major thoroughfares developed as boulevards, promenades and stretches of tree-lined and coastal highways interspersed with parks and resorts and provided with appropriate facilities for tourism, agriculture, commerce and environment-friendly industries.
In popular culture
- Hagedorn was the subject of a biopic movie titled Hagedorn in which his character was played by the late actor Fernando Poe Jr. in 1995.