Councilor Peter Lavina

When I meet many local Davaoeños who are making a difference in the economy and social welfare of our city and country, I often equate my new Filipino friends to the traditions of Dr. Jose Rizal. I'm always amazed to read about Dr. Rizal and his achievements in just 35 short years of his life. Imagine, a man who spoke 22 languages, mastered more than 7 disciplines, and became a national hero less than half the age of national heros of most countries in the world!

Many Filipinos follow the tradition of Dr. Rizal in pursuing knowledge and love of country on so many levels. Take Councilor Peter Laviña as an example. He's a man who was a journalist, an ad agency chief, marketing professional, a political activist, an IT educator and evangelist, and a City Councilor. Talk about any local committee designed to help people in education and technology and you'll find participation and leadership from Councilor Laviña. His accomplishments are many and his work largely follows the traditions set forth by Dr. Rizal.

Last night I had the pleasure of meeting Councilor Laviña who fit me in to his tight schedule. I discussed some of my ambitions to help create an Adobe user group here in Davao and start an Ad Club. In addtion we talked about creating a local certificate program in graphic design through the TESDA Ladderized programs. On all accounts I had much support from Councilor Laviña who is willing to lend a hand and make contributions to these causes.

Davao City is fortunate to have such an active and dedicated Councilor who continually works for the betterment of the Filipino people and the advancement of technology. If you haven't had the same pleasure of meeting Councilor Laviña, you'll find him at NCCC Mall giving some talks on eGovernment and blogging in October —more on that expo later.

—ted