Hon. Jessie “Doc Jess” R. Albeus, D.M.D.
The first termer City Councilor Jessie R. Albeus remarkably made a difference in Naga City politics in the May 2019 elections, when as an independent candidate he won the last seat in the City Council breaking the “ubos kun ubos” voting trend that has reigned the city for 27 years.
Councilor Doc Jess, as he is popularly known for, run for a public office with passion to serve the Nagueños with the optimistic spirit of being a “man for others” and pushing for his advocacy for a good oral health program which is one of the least priorities of the government. His career in public service started in 2014 when he was appointed as Barangay Kagawad of Tabuco replacing his mother, former Barangay Kagawad Gloria R. Albeus. He was elected as Punong Barangay in 2007 – 2010.
True to his advocacy, after his assumption of Office as a duly elected City Official, Doc Jess distributed portable Dental Chairs at Tabuco Central Elementary School, Calauag Elementary School, Teodoro Moscoso Elementary School in Carolina and at R.V. Maramba Elementary School in San Felipe from September 2019 to January 2020.
The idealism of this man is always on the optimism side. Thrice he run for City councilor in 2010, 2014 and 2016 local elections but unsuccessful. Instead, he focused his passion to serve by working efficiently as Chapter President of the Philippine Dental Association (PDA) – Camarines Sur Chapter for two (2) terms from July 2012 to June 2014, where his efforts was recognized by PDA as Most Outstanding Chapter and Chapter President in the Bicol Region in 2013. He rose to the PDA National Position in 2014 when he was elected as Majority Floor Leader of the House Delegates, the Legislative Body of the PDA. In 2015 – 2016, he was elected as Secretary General of the PDA. From 2016 – 2018, he was elected as Speaker Pro Tempore and subsequently in the year 2018 – 2019, the 1st Nagueno and the 3rd Bicolano to be elected as Speaker of the House of Delegates (HOD), in the 56 years history of the HOD, the highest position in the Legislative Body of PDA that was established in 1965. After his successful start in the HOD, he was elected as Board of Trustee for two (2) terms during the period June 2019 to May 2021. He is one of the few leaders of the PDA who have successfully served both the legislative and the executive branches.
Doc Jess likewise served as Alumni President of Ateneo de Naga University General Alumni Association (ADNUGAA) in 2014. Among the legacies Doc Jess left in the ADNUGAA was the allocation of funds for the ADNUGAA scholarship grants and the institutionalization of the Ateneo Alumni League (AAL) Sports Program.
Enthused by his services with PDA, one of his Legislative Agendas is to collaborate and pursue oral health programs and awareness campaigns in the City. Hence, his authored and approved Ordinance No. 2019 – 070 – Ordinance Declaring the month of February of every year as the Naga City Dental Health Month.
Just recently, a very challenging Ordinance gave Councilor JRA the opportunity for public service to have an interesting impact when he authored the approval of Ordinance No. 2021 – 014 or the Ordinance operationalizing the Freedom of Information (FOI) in the City Government of Naga that would put into use in the LGU level the constitutional provisions on public disclosure of state transactions involving public interest and the right of the people to information on matters of public concern. He believed that this will augment the City’s efforts in creating a more transparent and accountable government and to empower Nagueños. According to him, it is in their empowerment that governance towards a progressive society can be achieved.
(Note: This article was first printed in Vol 1 of CONSEJO (Official publication of the 13th Sangguniang Panlungsod ng Naga) and posted in an earlier edition of this website.)