There’s always room for change in society, significantly if it improves the community’s quality of life. Ushering change is a responsibility for public leaders like Rep. Anna York P. Bondoc, elected Congresswoman of the Fourth Congressional District of Pampanga for the 19th Congress.
Rep. Bondoc’s influence extends beyond her medical career. She was a previous three-term Congresswoman in the 13th, 14th, and 15th Congresses of the House of Representatives from 2004 to 2013. She represents the eight municipalities of Macabebe, Masantol, Minalin, Apalit, Candaba, San Luis, San Simon, and Sto. Tomas.
Other than her extensive influence in the House of Representatives, Rep. Bondoc is a medical doctor, a pulmonary and critical care specialist, and an internist who graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Medicine. She had her residency in Internal Medicine at the Lenox Hill Hospital and fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Clinic in New York, USA. She now holds a St. Luke’s Medical Center clinic in Quezon City.
She is also a Psychologist who earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from UP Diliman, where she graduated Cum Laude. She authored the law for the Psychology Board Exam in Congress.
Rep. Bondoc is widely known as a physician who has made a significant impact during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has been providing Libreng Konsulta online via Facebook Live and YouTube Livestream. The TV station ABC 5 recognized her efforts and named her a “COVID Hero.” Her Facebook page, Dr. Anna York Bondoc, garnered 3.5 million views for the viral video #BanRapid.
Despite her active career in the medical field, Rep. Bondoc is deeply involved in the grassroots concerns within her community. As the wife of six-termer incumbent San Luis, Pampanga Mayor Jayson S. Sagum, she is well-versed and deeply committed to address barangay matters, ensuring no issue is too small for her attention.
As a district representative, Rep. Bondoc is responsible for developing four sectors: education, health, infrastructure, and the environment.
Education also plays a central role in Rep. Bondoc’s administration. She went above and beyond to ensure that students in her district receive quality education and are well-equipped to face future endeavors as professionals.
Her notable contributions in the education sector include establishing 26 high schools in her jurisdiction and supporting over 15,000 college scholars. Rep. Bondoc also established the Board Exam Assistance Fund, the first in Pampanga.
The district representative’s other educational initiatives include opening the Don Honorio Ventura State University in Macabebe and the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences at the said university. Many benefited from her educational contributions, as Rep. Bondoc gave the first jobs to 1,000 college graduates through the KALAHI program, inspiring a new generation of scholars.
As of this writing, four towns have their respective universities among the eight other locations under her jurisdiction. Moreover, her district has the most high schools in Pampanga, with 60 public high schools, further solidifying Rep. Bondoc’s high regard for quality education in her district.
Rep. Bondoc also made relevant developments in her field of expertise: health. Her leadership led her to establish the first BUCAS (Bagong Philippines Urgent Care and Specialty) Center in the Philippines in Sto. Tomas, Pampanga, and the first extension of the Jose B. Lingad Regional Hospital in the same town. She launched the Gulayan ni Nanay Vegetable Growing Program with vaccination and infant nutrition for 500 breastfeeding mothers for the first batch and another 4,000 for the next.
Pampanga’s Fourth District representative is likewise the breastfeeding champion and national expert on breastfeeding, being the principal author of Republic Act 10028, or the Expanded Breastfeeding Act, which promotes the rights of working mothers to breastfeed. Another legislation that Rep. Bondoc principally authored is the Psychology Law, which expands the role of psychologists in providing mental health services, a testament to her dedication to improving healthcare.
Another priority during Rep. Bondoc’s administration is fostering accessibility throughout Pampanga’s Fourth District. Some significant bridges were built, such as the San Miguel Bridge in San Simon and the San Luis Bridge in San Luis. The San Nicholas to San Pedro Bridge in San Simon is also worth mentioning, while the Delta Bridge Masantol is still under construction. Other bridges under construction that cross the Pampanga river are the Cambasi Bridge in Masantol, the San Juan Bridge in San Lusi, and the Apalit Bridge in Apalit.
Besides bridges, other infrastructure efforts infrastructure efforts under Rep. Bondoc’s office include establishing two major national roads: the Pasac Culcul National Road in Minalin and the San Simon to Baliuag National Road. She likewise oversaw the concretization of hundreds of kilometers of roads and the complete asphalting of the setback levee with over 22 kilometers of dike road.
Lastly, Rep. Bondoc spearheaded the most extensive coastal cleanup in the Philippines, with more than 3,000 participants picking up 9,000 sacks of garbage from Manila Bay.
Rep. Bondoc has solidified her legacy as a public leader by implementing change and development in her district. She continues to empower her constituents to lead better lives while ensuring that their surroundings can keep up with their progress. Indeed, the district representative sets a high standard for
leadership.
