Mayor Luis ‘Chavit’ Singson, of Narvacan town, Ilocos Sur in a one-and-one exclusive interview yesterday with Tribune/Metro Sun writer Mario T Supnad inside his seaside white mansion in barangay Sulvec.
NARVACAN, Ilocos Sur- Claiming he cannot bring his wealth in heaven, political stalwart Luis “Chavit” Singson, president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, vowed yesterday to donate at least P15 billion of his wealth to the Filipino people.
The first among the few Filipino billionaires to announce publicly such huge donation of his personal money, Mayor Singson of this town told this writer in a one-and-one exclusive interview in his seaside white mansion in barangay Sulvec here, that he has had more than enough in his life after successfully launching a lot of investments not only locally but also in United States. “Diak met maitugot diay Langit toy kuartak no matayak, isu nga iyindonarko laengen kadaguiti tattao,( I cannot bring my wealth in heaven once I died, so I’ll just donate it to the people), “ pointed out Singson.
Singson or Gov Chavit as popularly called being a former governor for quite long time here, stressed that this was the reason why “ I did not participate anymore in politics this come election to avoid suspicion that I would donate my wealth because of politics.”
“Isu ngarud nga diakon nga simrek ti politika ta dida makuna nga agiyindonarnak gapu ta agpolitikaak pay,” ( This is why I did not enter politics anymore so they cannot tell that I’ll be donating my wealth because of politics), said Singson.
Chavit pointed out, however, that he will not donate cash money to the people but by establishing various infrastructure projects such as Five -star hotels, malls, Convention centers, entertainments facilities, two 40-storey super towers, Iconic buildings, a world television network, among others where the public can be given job opportunities.
Ask why he was doing this huge donation, Chavit said that he has had more than enough in his life and that it is time for him to also donate part of his wealth.
Earlier, Chavit admitted to this writer that he sold his Metro Walk lot in the central business district of San Juan, just beside the Ortigas business center, worth billions of pesos.
A known philanthropist, Chavit also owns a bank in Las Vegas aside from other businesses in that rich city in America.
He admitted that he owns a lot of local business establishments, including mining, transportation, construction among others, which have all been successful and are making money.
A highly-respected political kingpin and ‘king-maker’ both in national and local politics, Chavit was credited for the upgrading of the once sleepy town of Ilocos Sur into a 1st class province due to the R. A. 7171(Tobacco excise tax) where the province and other Virginia tobacco-producing provinces in the North can have billions of pesos share from the tobacco industry.
Chavit authored said law when he was a congressman.
