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NAVOTAS MAYOR DIES OF CANCER

Navotas, Metro Manila, May 13, 2000 - Navotas Mayor Cipriano "Efren" Bautista, who would have turned 71 this July, died Thursday at his residence. Reports said the mayor had long been suffering from cancer.

Early Thursday, Bautista had asked permission from his doctors at St. Luke's Medical Center in Quezon City where he was confined, to go home.

Bautista suffered a seizure at about 6 p.m.

Bautista went on a 30-day leave starting March 13 to undergo medical tests in the United States. Local officials, even Vice Mayor Tobias "Toby" Tiangco, refused to discuss the cause of the mayor's death. Last Tuesday, Bautista officially designated Tiangco as acting mayor.

Bautista's remains will be brought Monday to the Navotas cultural center which also serves as the town hall.

Hundreds of municipal employees wore black, mourning Bautista's death, when they reported for work yesterday.

The deceased mayor was one of the first licensed marine engineers and naval architects in the country, holding license number 3.

He was born in Navotas on July 11, 1929, the youngest of six children of very poor parents.

According to Arthur Bautista, 34, the fourth of the mayor's eight children, his father often told them of his hardship as a boy in Novotas.

Arthur said his father told them that his family could be described as "poorer than mice," surviving on rice and salt. A meal of rice and "tuyo" was a feast.

Seeing intelligence in the young Bautista, the mayor's siblings got together to send the youngest through the public schools of Navotas and Malabon where he finished elementary and high school, respectively, with high marks.

Arthur said his father was supposed to get the first government license as a marine engineer and naval architect in 1953 but pointed out that his two teachers should be the first.

Armed with his license, Bautista worked in two fishing firms where he was responsible for ship repair and building operations.

Securing financial backing and armed with his ship building expertise, Bautista set up Navotas Industrial Corp. that pioneered in ship building and repair in the 1950s.

Bautista entered politics in 1961 as barrio captain of Barrio Daanghari, Navotas. In 1968, Bautista was elected municipal councilor. In 1986, he was elected vice mayor. He is survived by his widow, Judith, and children Mirriam, Daniel, Cipriano, Jr., Arthur, Bea, Benny, Elsa and Michael.