ABELLANIDA: THE 8TH PLEASES
NATIONAL PRESIDENT
Desirous of serving the people, Mr.
Mario T. Abellanida, at age 25, accepted in
1980 the appointment as First Municipal
Secretary of Laak, a first class town of the
Province of Compostela Valley, Davao
Region. A holder of the Degree of Bachelor
of Arts, which he obtained in 1976 from
Notre Dame of Midsayap College, Mr.
Abellanida, who is married with 6 children,
holds two (2) career service eligibilities
(profs for local & nat’l. gov’t.).
From his student days up to the
present, Mr. Abellanida remains a leader. In
his senior year in college, he was elected
and had actively served as :
a) President, Supreme Student
Council of Notre Dame of
Midsayap College;
b) President, St. Thomas Aquinas
Debating Club;
c) President, Political Science Club;
d) President, Rotaract Club (Junior
Rotary).
He received several student leadership
awards as such. In addition, he had served
as News Writer of the School Organ, the
Regina, of his Alma Mater.
As soon as he graduated from college,
Mr. Abellanida was appointed College
Instructor of Notre Dame of Jolo College of
Jolo, Sulu, SY 1976-1977. He handled
Political Science and other social science
subjects. He had taught as College
Instructor of the Philippine Harvardian
College of Cotabato City, SYs 1978-1980,
handling the same kinds of subjects.
Actively involved in civic and community
leadership, Mr. Abellanida had served as :
a) President, Buklod Ng Mga
kabataang Kawani (BKK) of Laak
in 1983–1985;
b) Director/Member of the Board of
Directors, Davao del Norte Electric
Cooperative (DANECO), 1990–
1998;
c) President, Board of Directors of
DANECO, 1993–1994;
d) President, Laak National High
School PTCA, SYs 1999–2001;
e) President, Municipal Federation of
the PTCAs of Laak, SYs 1999–
2001;
f) President, Provincial Federation of
PTCAs of Compostela Valley, SYs
1999–2001;
g) Chairman, Municipal Cooperative
Development Council (MCDC) of
Laak, 2003–2006;
h) Chairman, Provincial Cooperative
Union (PCU) of Compostela Valley,
2005–2006;
i) Chairman, Region XI Cooperative
Development Council (RCDC XI),
2004–2006;
As far as PLEASES leadership is
concerned, Mr. Abellanida has contributed a
lot to the growth and strengthening of
PLEASES. He had served as :
a) Provincial President, League of
Secretaries to the Sanggunian of
Davao, 1988-1989;
b) Regional President, Philippine
League of Secretaries to the
Sanggunian, Region XI Chapter,
2001-2005;
c) Vice President for Mindanao,
Philippine League of Secretaries to
the Sanggunian, 2006-2007.
Known for his great performance as
PLEASES Regional Chapter President, Mr.
Abellanida, during the incumbency of
PLEASES National President Alicia S.
Javier, was recognized and awarded as
Most Outstanding Regional Chapter
President of the Philippine League of
Secretaries to the Sanggunian, Inc.
(PLEASES) and his Region XI Chapter was
likewise awarded as MOST OUSTANDING
REGIONAL CHAPTER OF PLEASES in the
Philippines on March 16-19, 2004 at Butuan
City during the 2004 Annual Assembly of
PLEASES. The same kinds of awards were
given to him and to his Region during the
National Convention of PLEASES in Cebu
City in 2005.
For several times, he was offered to run
for a political seat, for Mayor, in his town
and for Board Member in his province. But,
he declined the offer. He has to wait for
seven (7) more years for his retirement from
the career service before joining politics.
Recognized for his achievements and
backed up by the known pillars of
PLEASES, Mr. Abellanida was elected un-
opposed to the position of National
President of PLEASES during the
PLEASES National Convention in Davao
City on June 20-23, 2007.
Sec. Abellanida, being the 8th National
President, has unfolded a page in the
history of PLEASES as he is the 1st National
President hailing from the ranks of the
Secretaries to the Sangguniang Bayan.
Committed to his arduous tasks as a
leader and to the cause of PLEASES, Sec.
Abellanida firmly believes that “life without
commitment is no life at all.”