VALIANT MAN and THE FATHER OF TIBYOG PARTY

VALIANT MAN and THE FATHER

OF TIBYOG PARTY

by Cesar P. Rodriguez

Allen S. Quimpo

When he ran for and won the mandate of the Aklanons to represent them in the august halls of Congress in 1992, he was considered a giant-killer. For he was then up against a re-electionist congressman whose niece was also at the helm as Aklan governor. But triumph he did, a result of his many years of hard work started when he was a vice mayor and later mayor of the capital town of Kalibo.

In the House of Representative, he made his presence immediately felt by taking very active in committee work, where the real action was and is. The 9th Congress (1992-1995) was a very hardworking Congress, and he was a part of the legacy-building generation of legislators. As Vice Chairman of the Committee on Education and Culture, Congressman Allen Salas Quimpo worked hard with the committee in crafting landmark legislation, to wit: the creation of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) which replaced the then National Manpower and Youth Council (NMYC), the creation of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Education (DepEd), the establishment of Dual Tech Education and of the Centers of Excellence, the creation of Science and Technology scholarships. 

He involved himself with the Lucio Tan – supported Foundation for the Upgrading of Science Education (FUSE) and participated in various public hearings and consultations of the other committees he was a member of.

Recognizing his competence and industry, the House leadership sent him to various international conferences and congresses. He represented the Philippines as delegate to the Final Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in Marakech, Morocco, that paved the way for the creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO). He also represented the Philippines in conference in the ASEAN and Asian region.

A lawyer by training, Congressman Quimpo used his knowledge of the law in crafting legislations and in the exercise of the oversight function of Congress. Despite his busy schedule, he made it a point to regularly go home to the district, Aklan making regular consultation with leaders and the constituents. He actively supported programs and projects of the local government units and staunchly advanced the empowerment of people and non-government organizations. 

He was always consultative: his regular meetings with various sectors (youth, women, fisher folk and farmers, religious sectors) are the sources of inputs in making his decisions in Congress. When he pushed for the creation of the Aklan State University System (ASU System), many cynics were saying he will not see the legislation being enacted as the bill threatens his family’s interests in education in the Province of Aklan. But pushed the bill he did and today, the ASU maintains five campuses in Banga, Kalibo, New Washington, Makato, and Ibajay. He is also credited for the development of the Kalibo-Altavas highway which paved for smoother travel to the Province of Capiz and Iloilo.

On the political front, he is considered the father of the Tibyog Party, a local political party that has cultivated and continuously cultivate the dynamic and competent leaders in the Province of Aklan. He has preferred, however, to give way to new leaders and to concentrate in the field of education and academic administration, an area he says would allow him to give back of what the Lord has given him a lot of.

Happily married to Marianne Lao Quimpo, he is a proud father to a certified public accountant, a lawyer, an educator, an entrepreneur, and an engineer. /MP