I am writing this with a heavy heart as one of the most selfless men in the Philippines has departed earth: Congressman Edward Hagedorn.  This public servant is probably the best gift Palaweños have ever received as he placed Palawan on the map of the Philippines as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its Puerto Princesa Underground River. 

After two decades of serving as the mayor of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, the unknown city at that time, emerged as the “cleanest and greenest” component city in the Philippines and won several global recognition and awards in the process, elevating the city into the Hall of Fame. I was probably the last celebrity who had a long chat with him before he died of cancer. 

He confided in me that he was suffering from cancer but was determined to battle it. Oct. 12 would have been his birthday, and he looked forward to celebrating his 77^th birthday. His birthday wish was for Jose Marie Chan to sing for him, but it never happened because he passed away on Oct. 3, 2023. 

This man lived a whole life of service to man. Hagedorn was a visionary. He placed Palawan on the global stage by making Puerto Princesa’s underground river one of the “New 7 wonders of nature” (declared Nov. 11, 2011). When the hardworking congressman got me to do a show in Aborlan, Palawan, several months ago, I saw how people swarmed around him, wanting to touch and be with him. He was sincere with them, asking everyone how he could improve their lives. He had plans for the youth of Palawan, more plans for protecting the natural resources of Palawan, and still more plans for alleviating the poverty in Palawan. The shoes Hagedorn left are big shoes to fill for the next solon of his district. 

What is so beautiful and noteworthy about his life is that he became a good person and knows God. In my first and last interview with the legend of Palawan, he told me that his turning point was in the middle of his acceptance speech, “You may call me a gangster in my past life, Giselle. I was a bandit in my old life. I was a logger in Palawan. I didn’t care because I was not from Palawan to begin with. I was from Tambo, Parañaque. We cut down trees in Palawan regardless of their kind. I did not care; I was young and making money. I was so bad to the environment that I  used to shoot down birds for no reason.  And then, in 1992, I ran for Mayor to continue my illegal gambling activities. I won by a  landslide, and during my inaugural speech, I suddenly forgot my entire speech onstage, and  I found myself rambling onstage, not knowing what I was saying. When I reviewed the tape, I  was surprised because I saw that I had promised to stop all illegal activities (gambling and logging)  in Puerto Princesa. I said out of gratitude I would protect the natural resources. That was the turning point of my life, the start of my New Life. So I think the Lord put the words in my mouth. I  gave up logging and jueteng and went after the “untouchables” engaged in environmentally destructive activities. I just fell in love with Palawan and the Palaweños. I realized nature is very, very beautiful. I had a major attack of conscience. I wanted to uplift the lives of my constituents while safeguarding the environment. I wanted to instill discipline, peace, order, and cleanliness and encourage participation. The success of any government-led project ultimately lies in the people’s cooperation. The people know if you’re fooling them.” 

Long live the legend of Palawan. The children of Palawan will grow up, and they will tell their children about this great man named Edward Hagedorn.