Women make presence felt in Aklan politics
BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

WOMEN POWER. Mayor Delfina Ramos of the town of Batan, Aklan with his vice mayor-elect Jayner Demeterio (ACMagno)

KALIBO, Aklan - Women politicians are making their presence felt in Aklan politics. Five women mayors have been elected mayors out of 17 towns - the biggest number of women elected to office in Aklan history.
The newly elected mayors are Delfina Ramos (Kampi, Batan), Elverita Templonuevo (Kampi, Numancia), Dr. Kathryne Refol (Lakas-CMD, Altavas), Maria Lourdes Miraflores (Kampi, Ibajay) and Noemi Cordero (Nacionalista Party, Balete).
Mayor Miraflores is the wife of reelected Aklan Rep. Florencio Miraflores (Kampi), a three-termer Aklan governor and former Ibajay town mayor. Cordero is the sister of 'graduating' mayor Teodoro Calizo Jr of the town of Balete.
Three reelectionist vice mayors - Dr. Nilda Tambong (Nacionalista Party, Kalibo), Rosie Iguban (Lakas-CMD, Malinao) and Jean Velarde (Lakas-CMD, New Washington) were also proclaimed winners in the May 14, 2007 elections.
But there's a first-timer in the vice mayor's league -Evangeline Maypa-Ibabao of Numancia bringing to four the number of vice-mayor-women in the province.
Meanwhile, incumbent Dr. Daisy Briones (Nacionalista Party) and former vice governor Jean Rodriquez also made it in the Magic 10 of the Aklan Sangguniang Panlalawigan race while former congresswoman Gabrielle Calizo (Nacionalista Party) was elected as vice governor of Aklan.
In Kalibo, two incumbents - Lilian Quimpo Tirol and Madeline Ang-Regalado were reelected as Sangguniang Bayan members. Reelectionist Jonna Morales-Torres and neophyte Rosemarie Piolo were also proclaimed in the town of Banga.