EMMARIE “Lolypop” Ouano-Dizon, the incumbent Cebu sixth district representative, has announced her intention to seek the seat of Mandaue City lone district in the House of Representatives Congress in the 2022 elections.
If elected, Dizon’s name will be forever etched in history books as the first House representative of Mandaue City.
In May 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law declaring Mandaue City a congressional district, which means Mandaue City will have its House representative in the next election. The sixth district is left with Cordova town and Consolacion in mainland Cebu. Lapu-Lapu City, which used to be part of the sixth district, has long been a separate district.
Dizon, in a text message, said she will seek the Mandaue City district seat since the city is her family’s home base.
Ouano bloodline
Dizon is a granddaughter of former mayor Alfredo “Pedong” Ouano and daughter of former Mandaue City mayor and former Cebu Provincial Board member Thadeo “Teddy” Ouano. Both her grandfather and father are dead.
She said it has been the city’s dream to be a lone district, considering its huge population.
This was realized through the efforts of the then-congressman and now Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, said Dizon.
Republic Act 11257 was authored by Cortes when he was still a congressman. The law declaring Mandaue City a lone district was signed by Duterte before the May 2019 elections, but it will take effect after the 2022 elections.
Honor
Dizon said she will serve the Mandauehanons with the utmost of her ability if she is chosen.
“It would be an honor for me, God willing, and if the people would accept me, to serve as the first congressional representative of Mandaue where the Ouanos of the previous generations have also served,” she said.
If Dizon is given an opportunity to represent Mandaue City, she said she would be able to channel more energy, more effort and more resources in one area only.
She said more Mandaue residents will benefit from her pet programs such as college scholarship, livelihood and skills training, medical and burial assistance, and infrastructure projects since another
congressman will be taking care of the towns in Cordova and Consolacion.
Political career
Dizon’s political career started in the 2010 national elections, during which she ran for city councilor and won. For two consecutive terms, she served as a city councilor.
In the 2016 national elections, Dizon ran for the mayoralty seat after her father expressed his intent not to seek any public office anymore. Dizon lost to former mayor Luigi Quisumbing, who made an alliance with Cortes, now the incumbent mayor.
In the 2019 elections, Dizon ran as a congressional candidate for Cebu’s sixth congressional district under the PDP-Laban, which she won. She is now allied with Cortes. / KFD