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Florentino “Jun” España (right) stressing a point in housing development for Camarines Norte as Camarines Norte Governor Egay A. Tallado listens. España accepts the job of the province’s “home czar” to develop a housing plan for farmers and the informal sector.

EXCLUSIVE NEWS FEATURE STORY

Jun España comes home as CNorte 'housing czar' for the Tallado government

By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

A MAMBOLEÑO who actively served the poor as a young man in the late 1970s  comes full circle today by doing the same advocacy for the poor of Mambulao in his early retirement years.

But to Florentino “Jun” España, 65, his brand of public service would be several notches better “if he was given the chance” to serve the people of his hometown.

Just a few days ago, this golden tray with which to serve others unfolded right before his eyes and España knew it would bring him right where the poor of the province is.

Camarines Norte Governor Egay A. Tallado offered him a job as a consultant in the housing program of the provincial government.

España had a meeting a few days ago with the governor, who offered him formally his new job in the provincial government.

He is shouldering a role to give flesh and bones to the anti-poverty program of the provincial government, particularly on housing for the informal sectors such as farmers and squatters.

“Improving the quality of life of the people in Camarines Norte starting with proper housing is a commitment from the governor,” he said.

“It is one step to achieving inclusivity of development growth in Camarines Norte,” said España.

And having the job of a “provincial home czar” safely tacked in his belt, España is gearing up.

He told MWBuzz: “My first job is to go straight to my hometown Mambulao for a look-see of what I could do to flesh out Gov. Egay’s vision for Mambulao.”

So beginning this week, the “housing czar” of the province of Camarines Norte would go around the 27 barangays of Mambulao and note how each of them would benefit from the inclusivity of growth he would pursue for the Mambolenos.

España, a Batch ’72 at the Jose Panganiban High School, is no stranger to working out a development program for the common people for which he had become proficient.

He was a former junior project manager of the San Pablo City BLISS I project that gave homes and livelihood projects to 50 poor families.

The BLISS I was completed in 1980.

The Marcos government named him as the Ministry of Human Settlement (MHS) provincial manager in Camarines Norte and also the provincial action officer of the Kilusang Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran (KKK).

During the time of Governor Fernando V. Pajarillo, España became a member of the Provincial Development Executive Committee, helping the then-governor craft and execute development programs for the province.

Shortly before he took mandatory retirement in 2019, the Mayor of Bayombong, Nueva Ecija, and the Secretary of Agrarian Reform nominated him for a public service award to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) for developing a housing program for farmers.

The award was the search for the “2019 Search for Outstanding Government Workers (Presidential Lingkod-Bayan Award Category).

España said when he received such a nomination for a public service award in 2019, “I thought my brand of public service ended."

“When Gov Tallado asked for help to pursue his development agenda in the province, I have realized that public service rarely ends.

“That is because our sense of duty will always remain in us. After all, the opportunity to create results that will change the lives of people for the better does not come every time.” 

"Just like what I did 40 years ago, I would do it again.

“The only difference now is that I am more equipped and battle-tested than 40 or so years ago,” España said.