Gentlemen and brothers, maayong buntag natong tanan.

I am here in front
of you to share my story. To GOD be the glory!!!

I am Erwin Fernando Baquial of Loboc,Bohol, a full-time businessman,

previously a part-time businessman and a full time politician. That was until May
9, 2016. Right after that forgettable elections, full time businessman na pud ko and a
no-time politician na unta ko. But fate brought me again to the situation that I once
said to myself nga dili na jud mausab. I became a politician again in 2018 leading
to the May 13, 2019 mid-term elections. .

I am married for 29 years to my sister wife Sionie Oppus of Baclayon. I am

now 57 years old and we have 3 grown up children, namely – Erwin Rommel
(ROB), a registered nurse making his own life in a big hospital in New Zealand,
Joseph Victor (JayVee), an Electronics and Computer Engineer connected with the
PLDT in Tagbilaran, bantay sa mga tiguwang puhon, and Isabella Maria (Saisai), a
Certified Public Accountant connected initially with SGV in Makati but lately
transferred to the international arm of SGV, the Ernst and Young of its Asian Talent
Hub, handling the accounts of its Australian clients nga wala na mahibalo asa nila
ibutang ang ilang extra millions, or HEDGE FUNDS – nag dula dula sa ilang kwarta
sa stocks, investments and property markets. She is handling the Crecent Fund,
kwarta sa atong mga Muslim brothers sa Australia. Like my sister-wife and my
youngest daughter, I am a Certified Public Accountant by profession.

In my past jobs, God has given me opportunities to travel – at the

Commission on Audit, I have gone to all municipalities of Bohol. Then with San
Miguel Corporation, as a Corporate Auditor – to most major provinces and cities of
our country. My stint as a Luxury Resort General Manager gave me the chance to
travel to most big cities of Asia, a part of the Middle East and some countries in
Europe, all for free, and that was amazing. When I entered politics, I had the most
fulfilling opportunities of visiting every nook and cranny of my beautiful town of Loboc.
.

If you ask me of the times when I felt I was at my lowest, here they are –

1. When I felt I was already at my highest pinnacle of business success –

earning 6 digits a month in the 90s up to early 2000s, until I was given
only a month to cease operating my logistics operations contract and
found myself holding only my pawnshop business to support my growing
family needs. It was really painful seeing my finances slowly going down
while my family’s material demands keep going up

2. When I have to close my pawnshop business operations after 11 years

feeling it was a kind of business nga daghang motungo nato. Daghan ta ug
kontra.

3. When I have to pull out my son Jayvee from his schoolings in the
University of San Carlos kay na ungo sa DOTA and having no grades to
show, when just a few years back he almost won as the “Regional King
of Mathematics”
 4. When I lost in the 2010 local elections just when I started to love mingling
around with my fellow Lobocanons

5. When I lost in the 2016 local elections for my town’s vice mayoralty contest
and thinking it was over but the oath taking.. My service vehicle was even
ambushed getting 37 bullets flying all around.

Gentlemen, I never thought that God was always at my side when I

supposedly felt I was at my lowest. He was actually beside me saving me from all
dangers that lurk around.

1. My pawnshop business slowly picked up its earnings to cover-up my lost

contract logistics business. I even opened up another branch to service its
growing pawning demands. However, I have to close them down kay our
teachings with the BCBP seem to be in conflict with this kind of business.
Now my “small businesses” – bakeshop, water refilling and cement
distribution have given me relaxing atmospheres and open scheds that I
can always have my favorite exercise – biking, anytime at my likings, and
my involvement in our Camiguin Mission. God never stops amazing me.

And lately, the businessman who took over that logistics contract of mine
with San Miguel offered to sell his business operations to me. Wala lang ko
mosugot kay grabe ka mahal, P75 million!!

2. When I transferred my son back in our province for his college degree, he
seemed to be trying hard to finish schooling but still with DOTA DOTA on
every Friday sched, and with barkadas on every Saturday. Now after 8
long long years of waiting, me graduate ra jud. Praise God. My eldest son
easily made it to New Zealand, getting his permanent residency status
after only a year on his job. My daughter was immediately taken in by SGV
right after passing her board exams. Ang SGV pa ang mitawag niya. God
is really that amazing!

3. I may have lost in my first try at politics in 2010 but losing can not take
away my genuine happiness in mingling with my fellow Lobocanons
especially those living in far flung barangays. Helping them whole-
heartedly in getting jobs, free schooling, free hospitalizations and foods for
the tanods at government hospitals, free medical check-up, scholarships,
subsidized funeral expenses and even group tours to Manila. God has
given me the right friends and political connections in achieving all these.
Actually I won as the 1st councilor of my town in 2013. God is really that
amazing!

4. In politics, there is what we call camada. The group must decide what
position you will be running in the next electoral process. I fell into this
vicious set-up. Honestly my brothers, I was only interested in being a
 councilor in the 2016 battle. I must be open, I was eyeing to run as
President of the Philippine Councilors’ League – Bohol Chapter had I ran
as councilor again and won. But because of the “set-up”, I was forced to
run as Vice-Mayor for reason that “mabungkag ang kamada” if I only run
for Councilor. Despite that, also to be honest, I expected to win as Vice-
Mayor in 2016. What with the countless people I have helped on a daily
basis, having created so many “friends”. But when the hour of reckoning
arrived, the same people who asked for and received my genuine help
and my so called friends abandoned me by mere P500 – P1,000. A
barangay official who was not legible to receive the “pabahay” program
right after the 2013 earthquake, but got it anyway because of me, refused
to even list down persons in her barangay who were not on me. After the
May 9 elections, I reviewed her texts to me and found that she asked for
my help almost 15 times. The service SUV lent to me by a sister was shot
at 37 times. God’s blessing for me, I was not on board and the windshield
is bullet-proof that only 2 bullets lodged at the driver’s door and the front
grille, saving my driver-security as well.

Besides that, because I was not at the ambushed vehicle and also was my
close-in security, who was a hardened hit-man who swore . that had he
been there, dugay ra kuno manguros kun siya mobaws and that meant
trouble to the innocent ones.

The barangay captain who calls me anytime of the day and night, even took
matters to herself to make sure I was defeated in her barangay, where I was no. 2 in
the previous elections for councilor in 2013.

I may not dwell this sharing on my 2019 electoral run, why? Because at the
onset, I was not really interested at all but because of the hangyo-hangyo. The
Governatorial candidate is a nephew in-law and the Congressional candidate is a 1 st
cousin. I felt nobody was guarding their backs in our own town.

On a positive note gentlemen, I concluded and very thankful of these, that

whatever happens, the family is always there ready to help whatever they can ug
bisan unsay mahitabo, the Community was also always praying for my well being
especially during the heat of the campaigns. Another thing you will discover –
barangay folks are always honest in their affection towards you, until election season
ticks in. And that amazes me.

God may not like my drift to moving higher in the political ladder because as
what I sometimes say, “when you are a councilor you are still a giver, but
starting to be a Vice Mayor you will now be a receiver”. During the campaigns, I
neglected my responsibilities of being a member of this Community. Unlike before, I
am now a full-time businessman and a no time politician. You know, my fellow
lungsuranons in Loboc, some of them may not have voted for me, still come or call
me to ask for my help. Brothers, I still help them in anything if I still can. I call it, “my
vocation”. . Before it was daily, but now probably once or twice a week na. Maayo
ning motabang ta kaysa kita ang tabangan.

In closing, let me read to you a verse from Psalm 30:1 “I praise You Lord
because You have saved me…I cried out for help and You heard me… You
have changed my sadness into a joyful dance; You have taken away my sorrow
and surrounded me with joy. So I will not be silent; I will sing praise to You.
Lord, You are my God; I will give You thanks forever”.

Gentlemen, thank you so much and may God bless us all.