Hon. Mik-Mik Laniog

Salamat, payaba kong YRAGA Youth Organization! Usad kamo sa rason ngata ako padagos na naglalaban ag naninindugan. 💚🌱

Muli’t muli, “Para sa kabataan, kalikasan, at bayan.”

𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐀 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑

People embraced him fully and supported him wholeheartedly. It's a fairytale that only exists in a superficial society. Many do not truly know him yet he received hateful remarks immediately after announcing his intention to run for a city post. No one asks how he reached this point or what pushed him to run. Was he doing it to feed their ego or a "𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨" they call it to?

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
𝗛𝗼𝗻. 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗴, was the third among their siblings. He did not come from a family with a gold spoon in their mouth, just like the others. “𝘉𝘶𝘬𝘰 𝘬𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯” he admitted. He was not ashamed of being poor, and most of all, being a son of “𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘺𝘪” and “𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘳”.

“𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘬𝘰 𝘴𝘢 𝘣𝘶𝘬𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺𝘢,” that's a fact. The bloodline of Madoro-Laniog does not have a history in politics, may it be in the provincial, city, or barangay level. He does not have that kind of edge like others possess. What he has is his dedication, kind heart, and unquestionable academic background.

Mik-mik is a shining star and a model student. He was not born smart, he worked hard for it. He was not always adored, he was bullied— a story he openly shares with everybody. “𝘓𝘢𝘬𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘭,” a teacher during his early years said to him after mispronouncing "𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯".

Years later, this “𝘭𝘢𝘬𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘭” student did not only bring home the bacon, he owned and lived it. He bagged the 𝗦𝗡𝗘𝗦' 𝟳𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗙𝗜𝗙𝗦𝗜'𝘀 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻, 𝗨𝗡𝗘𝗣'𝘀 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗨'𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗮 𝗖𝘂𝗺 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗲.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗰𝘆.
“𝘜𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘢𝘸 𝘬𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘣𝘰 𝘴𝘢 𝘚𝘢𝘯 𝘐𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘳𝘰? 𝘔𝘪𝘨𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢-𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘯? 𝘔𝘪𝘨-𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘪𝘥?”

In the midst of Hon. Mik-Mik's candidacy as Chairperson, these words arose. That made him think how environmental advocates are belittled. It does not only diminish him as a person but also belittle the organization he belongs to.

These are only some of the backlash he received when he decided to run as SK Chairperson. People do not realize that it was not made in one sitting. It took him a month-long decision making to make up his mind whether to give up his government position or serve the public?

Public service grows in his heart. It was something he cannot deny and neglect. After winning the post—trials and triumphs paved the way. It is not easy as they say but it does not stop him from doing good. He shoved the Sangguniang Kabataan of San Isidro in the local and national spotlight. From being the only barangay in Iriga City who joined and was chosen for the 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗮𝘁 𝗞𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗮𝘀𝗮𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 to being one of the 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝟰𝟬 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗴𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗮𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗮𝗻 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. And now, acquiring a 𝟱𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 for the environmental project in collaboration with 𝗬𝗥𝗔𝗚𝗔 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

#𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘀𝗠𝗜𝗞𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻
“𝘒𝘢 𝘩𝘶𝘣𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘨𝘢. 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘶𝘭𝘰𝘴 𝘬𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘥 𝘯𝘪𝘺𝘢.”

A remark given to him after announcing his candidacy as Iriga City Councilor. In this modern times, we really cannot deny the fact that some still possess the "𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘥" opinion in politics. The "𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴-𝘢𝘴-𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭" mindset that is hard to erase.

When would all realize the mantra of 𝗶𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗛'𝘀 “𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙”? A phrase that really highlights how youth can be the hope of our nation.

Leading does not come with age. It comes with a purpose for the greater good.

Politics is not only for those who belong in the top of socioeconomic status, those who have a background, rather it is for everyone that has the dedication, love, and commitment to help and serve the public for the common good. It is time to acknowledge progress and reality that politics is a position where all voices deserve to be heard and considered.