Tribute to San Benito (Surigao del Norte) Mayor Asteria Antolin Glimane Bhandari San Benito Mayor from 2007–2010

By ELSIE SY-NIEBAR

MAYOR ASTERIA GLIMANE BHANDARI was the version of the town of San Benito: Brilliant, Compassionate, Great Leader, Charitable and One-in-a-Million Human Being! That’s how the Townspeople best describe their late Lady Mayor Aster. She came from a family who owned the land of San Benito, formerly known as Talisay, which was thickly covered with full-blooming Talisay trees. Juan Antolin was her forefather, who was a religious man, acted as Sacristan. Historically, the roots of the family background of the “Mother Teresa” to the Benedictine Friars in the Roman Catholic Church of Sapao. He then donated the land, that became Sitio of Sapao, and was named Talisay, after the thick Talisay trees. When the Roman Catholic missionaries, such as MSC, SVD and Order of Saint Benedict (OSB) spread the Catholic Religion in the place, they brought along with them the image of San Benito, a chapel then was erected where an image and statue of San Benito was placed sometime in the year 1895. As time went by, Sitio Talisay was changed to San Benito, until it became a civil barrio of Sapao.

When San Benito became a municipality, by virtue of Republic Act 6396 on September 17, 1971, her father, Honorable Mayor Alejandro P. Glimane, was the first elected mayor who assumed office on December 1, 1971 until October, 1979. In 2007, after the Synchronized National and Local Elections, Honorable Asteria Antolin Glimane Bhandari took office as the Municipal Mayor, succeeding her younger sister, Hon. Desideria Antolin Glimane Amedo, who became the Municipal Vice Mayor. She was deeply loved by the people, more than anybody else that they wanted her to run for the second term as mayor, but she choose to be with her loving husband Engineer Avtar Bhandari, her children and grandchildren in Chicago than her political career.

Projects of the late Mayor Aster Bhandari:●Farm to market road from Nuevo Campo to San Benito ●Women’s Building (now- Local Executive Building)/●Public Market (now-Hostel Building)/●Water Stock Tank for Barangay Bongdo/●Water Stock Tank for Barangay San Juan/●Water Stock Tank for Barangay Talisay

TRIBUTES to their beloved MAYOR ASTERIA GLIMANE BHANDARI… From two Public Servants: In the interest of space, these two Tributes were edited without losing the essence of their respective messages.

By Mr. Melquiades G. Mantilla, Sangguniang Bayan Secretary

“As Secretary of the Legislature, I had a good public relationship with the late Mayor Aster, a motherly Chief Executive of our town.

Mayor Aster was the most wonderful person I’ve ever met in my whole life. She was a lady of smiles which made her more beautiful and adorable. She was a lady of compassion, especially to the poor and marginalized. She broke the wall of political enmities. When she entered the political landscape in our town, she never considered her opponents as opponents, she would personally extend her hand to them, wherever they met. This gained her the respect from her opponents and their supporters. The 1st term of Mayor Bhandari (threeyear term) as Mayor of San Benito, she really did not stay put in town, she kept traveling back and forth to Chicago and San Benito to find funds. Her younger sister, who was then her Municipal Vice Mayor, took over her post anytime she was out of the country. In times, when she was out of the country, she continued to be our Mayor because she worked there in the US, looking for donations, be it financial, infrastructure or equipment that she brought home with her when she came back to San Benito. To attest that, she managed to transport a one unit of Ambulance Car from the US to San Benito, the first time that the people of San Benito saw that kind of health vehicle in their midst.

As to her leadership style, every now and then she called for a staff meeting or called individual employee for a private meeting with her in the Mayor’s Office. She kept consulting the employees, be it the Department Heads or the Rank-in-File employees their work status, accomplishments and problems encountered while delivering their specific jobs. I never remembered any single event that she insulted, scolded or gave harsh comments against one of her employees in the local government in public. She always talked with calm and soft voice, like a true mother and, of course, her never-fading smiles every time she talks in public ceremonies and even in her casual conversations. The most striking quality that I observed in her as a leader, was her humility in asking suggestions from her employees of what they could help her in running the government since she was a neophyte as a chief executive of a town.

During her stint, she facilitated remarkable infrastructure projects in the locality. The KALAHI – CIDSS Project or the Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – a Community Infrastructure Development Support Services of the National Government, successfully implemented in the municipality with counterpart funds from the local government unit. Mayor Bhandari gave her full support in this project and for three years, all the six barangays of the municipality really availed a poverty alleviation projects which until now are being used by the constituents.

Upon the expiration of her term and deciding not to run for the 2nf term, many of us employees were really saddened because we wanted her to continue her momentum. But it was her decision not to run again. Yes, deep in our hearts, we still long to see her propelling our municipality in the future. The last time that we talked, was during the funeral of her sister, former Mayor Seding Amedo. She gave me a glimpse of her intention of coming back to San Benito and ran again for Mayor in the future. She asked me if I could still gave her my full support and dedication, when the right time comes. I told her, “the leadership you showed to the people of San Benito in your 1st term was more than good enough to support you all the way, whatever your plans in the future.” She was grateful for that.

On the issue of her sudden death. All of us employees of the local government and even the whole people of San Benito were really shocked and perturbed by the sudden demise of our beloved Mayor. We could not believe and accept the tragic death of Mayor Aster. Every night of prayer, the Bhandari Residence was always full of faithful constituents longing to see her, especially while waiting for a decision of her family to bring home her body to San Benito or not. When it was confirmed yes — the people doubled in attendance during the nightly prayers. This gesture of love, respect and deep sadness of the people of San Benito were truly seen by the naked eyes of the members of the immediate family. The flock of people, the outpouring of sentiments, were really evident during the wake of Mayor Bhandari. Again, another recordbreaking event in our community, that for several nights of stay of Mayor Aster in her house, every night, there was a sponsoring-group in charge of the ceremony, funeral programs prepared and eulogies delivered by the people representing various sectors in society. The last night is the Local Government Necrological Service, wherein dignitaries from Provincial Government of Surigao del Norte as well as the Municipal Government of San Benito were in attendance for the said event, it was like a “State Funeral” given to her by the Government.

The honor rendered to the late former Mayor ended at her tomb. The whole force of the Municipal Government of San Benito was at the helm at the last night of funeral service until the day of her internment. The Philippine National Police Officers carried the coffin from the Bhandari House to the Church, and from the church to the cemetery. A 21-Gun Salute was accorded to her by the Philippine National Police (PNP), upon approval by the Provincial Headquarter. An honorable internment was again given to her by the Government by having a public ceremony in the cemetery, followed by another record-breaking event never been done to previous mayors and local officials. In closing, words could not ever suffice how much we truly love, treasure, and miss our beloved Asteria Glimane- Bhandari, Mayor of San Benito. Her memories will forever linger in our minds and hearts and her hopes and aspirations for the development of San Benito will set as a blueprint for the leaders of San Benito to work on. May she rest in peace. MILKY G. MANTILLA, MA, MPA/ Sangguniang Bayan Secretary, Municipality of San Benito.” *** ‘

By JASMIN MARBA SESTOQUE, high school teacher in San Benito National High School “The late Mayor Asteria Glimane Bhandari was our aunt, my husband is her nephew. We live in Aunt Aster’s parents’ old house (adjacent to the new remodeled big house of her parents). Mayor Asteria was one-in-a-million kind of a person. To the people of San Benito, she was the version of Mother Teresa — kind, compassionate, brilliant, friendly, and loving person. She loved everyone and treated them fairly and equally. She was a great Leader in deeds, not in words.

Mayor Aster’s Fulfilled and Unfulfilled Dream Projects for San Benito: She had so many unfinished dreams for San Benito, i.e., building a school, a port open for huge sea crafts/vessel, a hospital, Gawad-Kalinga housing, and public market. However, in her three-year-term of office, Mayor Aster had the following projects: Women’s Building, named Local Executive office, Public market, now Hostel House, Water tank for irrigation system in three barangays namely: Barangays Bongdo, San Juan, Barangay Talisay.

She was a “transformational and encouraging leader”. Coming from a family of political leaders who honestly worked hard for the good of the people, Mayor Aster had inborn gift of Honest Leadership with Public Service in her heart.

We, her people in San Benito also believed that her exposure to good government in the United States and the books she read, and seminars she had attended, helped her acquire current theories, practices and models of effective leadership. She was a very transparent leader, NO GRAFT and CORRUPTION, a common practice by most politicians in the Philippines. Most of the times, her funds to help people came from her own pocket and from her very generous families – her husband Mr. Avtar Bhandari and their six successful professional children and children-in-laws in Chicago. What was most touching about Mayor Asters was she was a God-fearing Women Mayor. She puts God first in everything she did, with Faith in God. To her knowledge and wisdom come from Him. She admitted that her Faith in God enabled her to work religiously and conscientiously to accomplish her services to the people. Mayor Asteria Glimane Bhandari was her own Model to her Vision and Mission of a good governance where people come first.

The People of San Benito wanted Mayor Aster to run again for her second term. I was one of those begging her to do it. We were so confident her services would easily merit her victory again and again. But she chose to be with her loved ones in Chicago… with a promise to continue some of her projects in San Benito . She told the people that her “retirement” from being Mayor is not the end of her Dreams for San Benito especially for the young generation. She encouraged the young people to finish high school because she will build for the town a Technical School with complete facilities like in America where students have computers and other equipment in modern technology.

The people of San Benito were so happy and grateful to Mr. Avtar “Ben” Bandhari, Mayor Asters’ husband, and their children when they decided to make San Benito her Eternal Home by bringing her body back for burial. The more-than-one-week vigil and funeral preparation was attended by thousands of mourners and government officials who expressed their sadness over the passing of a Great Public Servant like Aster — in their speeches and Eulogy. During the funeral mass, mourners tripled, coming from different places in Siargao Island and Surigao del Norte Province. Aster was buried on a piece of land she donated, part of the Roman Catholic Church to make San Benito a parish church. My husband Raul Estoque constructed her unique and beautiful White Mausoleum, under the supervision of Mr. Ben Bhandari. It will be the first mausoleum in Surigao Island. It is a twostorey building,with washrooms, living room, dining room, air-conditioned second floor, and a garden. Mayor Aster’s inspiring life story will be engraved in the stones inside the mausoleum for the people to remember the goodness of her heart, and as a Model Leader of the San Benito. I hope I can carry on Mayor Aster’s wishes for me to get connected with her former classmates at Southwestern University now in the US, to ask for their help in building the school that Mayor Aster had planned to build. I am volunteering myself to continue her vision and advocacy in education. I want to tell America how our mayor wanted to bring America in the heart of our town of San Benito.#

Mary Ann Khemlani: Mayor Asteria Bhandari was my mother’s best friend and cousin. Aunt Aster opened up her heart and home to my single mother. We became like her “adopted children.” She had been a part of my whole life and that of my three children Alina, Giovanny and Joshua Gonzalez. My husband, Giovanny Gonzalez, had grown to love her as his aunt as well. We laughed a lot together and enjoyed her stories. When going around the time, she seldom rode in her car or walked with a bodyguard. She trusted everyone like her family. She was always there to lend a helping hand to us. Her death has left such emptiness in our hearts. Auntie Asteria was a hardworking, kind and loving wife, mother, sister, aunt and friend. #

Some projects which Mayor Astheri Glimane Bhandari had finished and started: Health programs, and facilities; purchase of medicines, infrastructure projects partly implemented, Level 2 water system; Farm-to-market roads in every barangays, Scholarship program to de serving students.

In recognition of the help of the Philippine Consulate, I would like to extend my thanks to the office of the Philippine Consulate in Chicago, headed by the Hon. Consul General Generoso Calonge, for rushing to prepare the documents requested by the Bhandari Family needed to enable to send the body of the late Mayor Astheria Glimane Bandhari to her hometown in San Benito, Surigao del Norte, where she was buried. Following is the letter from the Philippine Consulate in Chicago:

“Dear Ms. Elsie,

It’s our pleasure to be of help to you and the bereaved family of former Mayor Asteria Glimane Bandhari. Misses. Rady V. Dela Cruz, Liezel Alcantara and Anita Saldo were very much involved in providing them the necessary assistance in the most courteous and expeditious manner when they visited the Consulate. We probably could inform our Regional Consular Office in Butuan City about the family’s request to convey the news of Mrs. Bandhari’s death and repatriation of her remains to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) provincial office in Surigao.

As regards your query on finding city or municipal officials, the DILG website (www.dilg.gov.ph) has a list of all officials of the Local Government Units in the Philippines. I have downloaded the listing for city officials and attached it to this email, for your ease of reference.

Best regards,

Jun Romulo Victor M. Israel Jr., Deputy Consul General/ Consulate General of the Philippines, 122 S. Michigan Ave. #1600, Chicago, IL 60603”