Change. Not only in government but more especially a change within men themselves. This perhaps encapsulates presidentiable Richard “Dick” Gordon’s vision for a new and more improved Philippines. Every Filipino must be an agent of change and it will start with the transformation of inner selves. They must be educated first so that they will choose the right and intelligent decisions for themselves. Somehow when Dick Gordon says this, many Filipinos are hopeful and believe that he can actually achieve that. Why? Just look at Olongapo and Subic now.
Politics is deeply rooted in the Gordon clan. His father James Leonard T. Gordon was the first mayor of Olongapo City. He was the youngest delegate present at the 1973 that drafted the 1973 Constitution, and he was still a law student at UP Diliman that time. Upon the assassination of his father though, he went back to Olongapo City to help his mother in running the city. It was no surprise that the younger Gordon would get involved with politics too, after all his parents did it before him. In 1980, he ran as mayor of Olongapo City and in a span of 3 years has managed to transform the once nitty gritty, crime and violence-filled city into an urbanized and model city. After his two terms as a mayor of Olongapo City he then became the Chairman of Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, a position he chose after some citizens questioned his two duties as a mayor and SBMA Chairman.
Under Gordon, Subic became a model for an impressive economic growth and development after being devastated with the recent catastrophic eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. The US Naval base removal might have left the Subic premises along with thousands of jobless Filipinos with it but Gordon was able to convince many leaders in the 1998 APEC Summit meeting to make Subic a technological hub of the Southeast Asia. With investments and job opportunities trickling in from these so-called blue chip companies, Subic was able to regain its feet back and in no time amassing massive economic growth. His short stint as Secretary of the Tourism Department placed the Philippines on the world map as one of the top tourist destination. He was also the prominent head of the International Red Cross best known for being the lead figure in times of calamities and disasters as most recently caused by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng.
Together with his vice-president Bayani Fernando, their tandem dubbed as “Transformers” or simply put as agents of change in this country, Gordon believes that with his vast experiences and background in politics and public service along with strong desire to bring change, he can achieve all his political platforms, dreams and aspirations for a strong and changed Philippines.