SANTA CRUZ, Laguna (PIA) – Laguna governor-elect Sol Aragones attributes her experience as a broadcast journalist in implementing priority programs and reforms as she was formally proclaimed as governor of the province of Laguna.
Asked how her background in journalism influenced her advocacies as a public servant, Aragones said that her heart and passion for what she does and believes in greatly helped her pursue Laguna’s top post.
“In every story I create, in every report I deliver, what’s important is that you put your heart into the story. It’s also important not to be biased. That means you always have to look at both sides of the story. The same applies to politics and public service.”
The second woman governor of the province also signaled her intention to listen to all sides, regardless of political affiliation, to deliver programs that will benefit the majority of Lagunenses.
“When you’re a journalist, focus is very important. What is it that I really want to do? How will I accomplish that? Being a journalist means you need to know how to listen and know how to observe, because your platform should be based on the needs of the people, not just on what you personally want to do.”
Before being proclaimed governor of Laguna, Aragones served as representative of the 3rd District of Laguna from 2013 to 2022.
She ran for governor in the 2022 National and Local Elections, but lost to outgoing governor Ramil Hernandez.
Prior to her political career, she worked in media and broadcasting with ABS-CBN for more than 13 years, covering community issues through its citizen journalism arm Bayan Mo, iPatrol Mo, as well as health and Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) beats.
Aragones said this is one of the reasons why health reforms were at the forefront of her gubernatorial campaign.
“Being a health reporter for ABS-CBN for 7 years has had a huge influence on me in seeing the healthcare needs of the people. We’ve gone around almost all the hospitals across the Philippines. We’ve seen in some places how the poor die helplessly, and this is what we don’t want to happen in the province of Laguna.”
Aragones vowed to support the establishment of a tertiary, DOH-run hospital in Laguna, a project authored by her election opponent, Laguna 2nd District Rep. Ruth Mariano-Hernandez in the 19th Congress.
She is also expected to continue the rollout of family health cards and provide free maintenance medicines to all Lagunenses in need. (CH/PIA-Laguna)
