Faustino Ng Dy Sr. (April 13, 1925 - October 3, 1993) was a Filipino politician who served as mayor of Cauayan, Isabela from 1964 to 1971 and governor of Isabela from 1971 until 1986 and from 1988 to 1992. The longest serving governor of the province, ruling for 18 years, he was also the patriarch of the Dy political dynasty.

Faustino Dy Sr.
Governor of Isabela[1]
In office
1988–1992
Vice GovernorManuel Binag
Preceded bySilvestre Bello Jr.
Succeeded byBenjamin Dy
In office
1971–1986
Vice GovernorWilson Nuesa
Preceded bySamuel Reyes
Succeeded byMelanio Singson
Mayor of Cauayan, Isabela[2]
In office
1964–1971
Preceded byTranquilino Dalupang
Succeeded byCarlos Uy
Personal details
Born
Faustino Ng Dy

(1925-04-13)April 13, 1925
Guimba, Nueva Ecija, Philippine Islands
DiedOctober 3, 1993(1993-10-03) (aged 68)
Political partyNPC (1992)
Other political
affiliations
Liberal (1961–1972)
KBL (1978-1986)
Lakas ng Bansa (1988–1991)
Lakas-NUCD (1991–1992)

Early life edit

Faustino Ng Dy was born on April 13, 1925, as the mestizo son of a Chinese immigrant in Guimba, Nueva Ecija. He worked as an ambulant trader traveling between Nueva Ecija and Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya before settling in Cauayan, Isabela.[3]

Personal life edit

After a first marriage, from which his first children Faustino Jr, Napoleon and Bill were born, he married Natividad De Guzman of Nueva Ecija, who was a sister of Grasing de Guzman, the chief enforcer of film producer and landowner Narcisa de León.[4] She had four sons with him who later became politicians: Faustino III, Benjamin, Caesar, and Victor.[5] Dy quickly established a popular reputation as a person considered to be matapang (ferocious, brave), with stories about him engaging in gunfights with thugs.[3]

Political career edit

In 1962 he was elected municipal councilor in Cauayan and became mayor in 1964. Dy was elected governor of Isabela in 1971 as a member of the Liberal Party and served until 1986. Despite being a close friend of Liberal leader Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., Dy switched his support to President Ferdinand Marcos after his imposition of martial law in 1972, later joining his Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) party. During his term, Dy oversaw the construction of multiple infrastructure projects in the province such as the Magat Dam in Ramon and the current provincial capitol building in Ilagan but was also criticized for failing to halt logging by Marcos cronies, human rights abuses by the dictatorship and the presence of the New People's Army in the province.

When President Corazon Aquino came to power in 1986, she initially removed Dy from his position as part of her nationwide reorganization of local government, but eventually reconciled with him and welcomed Dy into her administration. This enabled Dy to regain the post of governor in the 1988 elections, serving until his retirement in 1992. He was succeeded by his son Benjamin.[3]

Death edit

Faustino Dy Sr. died on October 3, 1993, aged 68.[6]

Legacy edit

In 2000, the Isabela Provincial Hospital in Ilagan was renamed into the Gov. Faustino N. Dy, Sr. Memorial Hospital under Sangguniang Panlalawigan Resolution No. 0168.[7]

References edit

  1. ^ "The Governors of Isabela" (PDF). Isabela Tourism Office. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  2. ^ "Historical Development of City of Cauayan, Province of Isabela" (PDF). Isabela Tourism Office. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Van den Top, Gerhard. "Actors in Philippine Forest Management". The Social Dynamics of Deforestation in the Philippines: Actions, Options and Motivations. Nordic Institute of Asian Studies. pp. 250–251.
  4. ^ McCoy, Alfred. An Anarchy of Families: State and Family in the Philippines. Ateneo de Manila University Press.
  5. ^ "Matriarch of Isabela's Dy scions dies at 91". Inquirer.net. 13 October 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  6. ^ "'Dynasty' dominates Isabela polls". Inquirer.net. 17 May 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  7. ^ "Gov. Faustino N. Dy, Sr. Memorial Hospital History". Official Website of the Province of Isabela. provincecofisabela.ph. Retrieved March 1, 2023.