Social media, especially Facebook, is awash with posts about his kindness. Mabalacat folks surely are enamored of his good deeds.
Marcos T. Castro, Jr. or simply known as Jun Castro, the city councilor, has been making good with what he pledged to the townsfolk, not just in 2019 when he won his first term but from many years back.
While unlucky in his first few attempts for a seat at the City Council in the past, Jun Castro was blessed as he finally got the post three years ago. Running under Team MCG with Mayor Garbo and Vice Mayor Geld Aquino (who both won with 20,000 plus margin over their respective opponents), he landed on second spot in the 10 council seats. He garnered 49,487 votes which was only less than a thousand short from Councilor and soon Board Member Winwin Garbo who got 50,479.
He was that close to heading the pack which was mainly made of winners from Team MCG. This has proved how likable he was. He still is, actually, as a recent survey commissioned by top leaders of the province puts him on top in almost every barangay of Mabalacat City. He is ahead of veterans like Liza Pineda and Cherry Manalo. Pineda has long been winning it easily in the elections as she comes from a family of politicians. Manalo has been around too in Mabalacat politics since her SK days. She is even coming from serving a full three terms as Board Member of the First District.
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Who would not like this re-electionist councilor? Most of the FB show him extending a helping hand – financial, medical, and other forms.
From helping out teachers, students, elderly, PWDs, LGBTs, CWLs, the whole spectrum, here are but a few samples of the very many comments on Jun Castro on FB.
From Thess Lansangan Ong: “CWL Christmas party..#thank you konsi Jun Castro for your unending support #CWL support the best man Coun.JUN CASTRO
From Aries Castillo Pingul: “Ini ing kananung #1 CityCouncilor Jun Castro eya biyasang mangaku gawan at gawan na istung sinabi na eya bisayang gugulut kareng lalapit kaya.. Salamat pu Councilor jun king Isundu ing Pamagbayu.”
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He willingly gives out the most needed kind of help like wheelchairs, nebulizers, blood pressure monitors and other medical paraphernalia. Those coming to him needing construction materials too for chapels, for canals, for other barangay improvements come home with more than just assurances as he himself delivers the requested items. Other items like pitcher and dragon-type pumps and other farm implements are also given to those who need them the most.
Needless to mention here was his support, along with Vice Mayor Geld Aquino, in the fight against COVID. He handed out ayudas, PPEs, medicines, medical supplies and vitamins. All that from his own pocket. He and Aquino figured very well in sustaining numerous community pantries around the city.
Their selfless efforts got them more enamored by the people of Mabalacat City. However, their acts of kindness were not without backlash. First, they contracted COVID as they courageously mingled with and continued their service to the people. Second, the good Samaritan acts were misconstrued to have been positioning for higher elective posts which was not only unfair but was proven to be untrue. Their loyalty to Team MCG, as seen not just on the Certificates of Candidacy they filed, but also in how they publicly praise Mayor Garbo should attest to that.
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Jun Castro has metamorphosed from minding his own personal business to sharing his blessings to the constituency he sought to serve.
He was not born with a silver spoon as did the other candidates and re-electionists.
He came from very humble beginnings. I should know as their family used to be our neighbor. His brothers were my classmates in elementary school. We used to play with them “maro”, “salikutan” and “tambubung”; and many other children’s games played with bare feet on the streets.
He and his siblings were so nice not just to us his playmates but also to their folks. They would quit our street games to greet their father coming from long drives at work or their mother returning from the market.
As far as I can recall, these were but some of the disciplined behavior and helpful acts Jun and his siblings had shown in our neighborhood. Such demeanor of helpfulness, as I realize now, Jun had brought to his adult life, especially in public service.
What little extra or earnings he had in growing his business he willingly shares to people whom he had committed to serve. It is just too bad that it was only in 2019 that he was given the chance to do that as City Councilor.
Looking back, now we can tell that the move of a former political leader to field a candidate who was Jun Castro’s namesake that stalled him from winning was not just a bad idea. It was a missed opportunity for many of our Cabalens to benefit from the wholehearted service of this man.
Now that he is here, he deserves to be much around for 2022 and the coming years.
