Fil-Ams top winners in Daly City, South San Francisco races

Mayor Juslyn Manalo and Council member Mark Nagales / CONTRIBUTED

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – Three San Mateo County Filipino Americans topped their Nov. 5 reelection bids, cementing their dominance in their cities’ political field.

Juslyn Manalo, current and first Fil-Am woman mayor of Daly City, took the top spot, followed by Council member Glenn Sylvester in second place.

Mark Nagales, the first Filipino American mayor of South San Francisco, also placed first.

Daly City Mayor Juslyn Manalo

For the first time in months, Juslyn Manalo got a well-deserved treat.

“I slept in for once,” the mayor of Daly City told Inquirer.net USA the day after she topped the race to retain her seat as she did in 2020.

Manalo, first elected in 2017, collected 14,792 votes or 49.98 percent of the vote in the second largest city in San Mateo County.

Her fellow Fil-Am, Glenn Sylvester, placed second with 11,311 votes or 37.22 percent.  The number of votes showed her message reached the electorate, she told Inquirer.net USA.

Mayor Juslyn Manalo counts her family’s support and Attorney General Rob Bonta’s endorsement among factors that fueled her successful campaign. Photo by Cherie M. Querol Moreno

Her campaign messaging was broad, she said, “because I know that the issues of the community are cross-cultural such as finding affordable housing, healthcare such as Seton Hospital.”

Four years ago she had to be cautious and creative to get the word out in the pandemic and now she was thrilled to meet constituents in person.

Manalo said she is excited to implement new items on her agenda:

• Convene a Women’s Commission in Daly City.
• Start a Filipino mural representing the history in Daly City.
• Open an all-inclusive, all-ability park/playground for all.
• Provide affordable childcare.

On her watch the city held its first “Top of the Hill  Festival” featuring a car show along with the usual music, food, vendors and a kid area.

Juslyn Manalo with key supporters / CONTRIBUTED

“This was an idea of mine when first elected and I kept persevering to have this happen and everyone enjoyed and is excited for next year,” she exclaimed.

Looking back at her past two terms, Manalo enshrined the City approval of 900 units of affordable housing, staff and teacher housing for the elementary and high school district, and reinstatement and staffing of Fire Engine 95 as her “greater contribution to the growth of Daly City.”

Known for appointing Filipino Americans to city posts, she vowed to continue developing “more Filpinx leadership” from the wealth of experience and qualifications she has witnessed in the course of her service.

Juslyn Manalo was endorsed by her City Council peers, Vice Mayor Rod Daus-Magbual and Council member Teresa Proano.

She expressed gratitude to her parents Carlito and Josefina Manalo and her husband Eluid Palamo for standing by her throughout her elected role.

“When I am out in the field, they are helping with my children,” she said. “My children also join me in the field, which they enjoy – meeting people and going to new places.”

Her political smarts she attributed to Supervisor David Canepa and Assembly Member Phil Ting.  She thanked Attorney General Rob Bonta, Assembly Member Diane Papan and State Senator Scott Wiener, who endorsed her along with the San Mateo Labor Council and San Mateo Democratic Central Committee.

To the people who have given her complete trust, she promised: “You have my full commitment to continue serving with my heart and being.”

SSF City Council Member Mark Nagales

Reelected with 2,011 votes or 62.77 percent for South City District 2, Mark Nagales said being reelected the second time “feels fantastic.”

“There’s a lot of relief once the election is over. All the hard work that we did during the campaign has paid off and we saw that residents had responded to a positive message. I can’t wait to get back to work,” he told Inquirer.net USA.

Every generation of the Nagales family actively contributed to Mark Nagales’ campaign. CONTRIBUTED

Of all the current Fil-Am elected officials, Mark Nagales had the most preparation, having worked with his high school Government teacher Gene Mullin in the latter’s service as South San Francisco City Council member and then California State Assembly member.

Nagales later became Constituent Services director in the Office of US Congress Member Jackie Speier.  He left to flex his political wings to vie for a seat in his hometown and became its first elected Filipino American man in 2018.  Again he was elected in 2022 when the city converted to district elections.

His calendar is crowded with key projects:

• Finish the brand-new childcare center in Westborough for which he said he secured $9 million to build to break ground next year in time for the ribbon-cutting estimated in 2027.
• Reduce the $5-million structural deficit by “figuring out other sources of revenue” to add to the $.6 million from the recently passed business license tax.
• Ensure safe city infrastructure with PG&E to prevent recurrence of the electrical explosion in Westborough.

“I’ve had numerous conversations from voters who told me that the free shuttle that I brought to Westborough was their form of transportation, and they appreciated the work that I’ve done to bring it to our district,” he said.

South San Francisco’s growth is both visible and palpable, and thus requiring affordable housing, Nagales spoke of what has always been a priority for him.

Philippine-born Mark Nagales with his team of volunteers. CONTRIBUTED

“That’s why I’ve led the effort in South San Francisco to build more housing, and we’re being recognized for our work. That’s why the State of California awarded the city a $28 million grant to build more affordable housing, one of the largest grants awarded by the State. We are one of two cities in San Mateo County to be recognized as a housing-friendly city.”

That he has faced and won with another Filipino (contender Vivian Ramos) on the ballot “just shows the strength of the Filipino community,” he pondered the coincidence.

“We have two members of the city council who are Filipino (Flor Nicolas is the first Fil-Am woman elected in SSF). It encourages others in the community to seek positions of leadership, and I think it’s great. I want to make sure that there’s a pipeline for the next generation of Filipino leaders when it’s all said and done.”

His service with Mullin and Speier opened his eyes to the need for Filipino visibility and voice in governance.

“For the longest time, Filipinos didn’t really engage in political dialogue, now we see that we have the political will to make a difference,” he said. “I did tailor my message to Filipino voters, I sent a mailer to Filipino voters highlighting the fact that I was the first Filipino mayor of South San Francisco. That means something to Filipino voters because when I would engage with them, they would remark that I was the first Filipino mayor. And I won’t be the last.”

Every generation of his family contributed to his campaign and he proudly related their individual tasks.

His mother Virgina, who uses a cane, would stop people on her daily walk through Westborough, a major city artery, and actually stop and ask joggers if they were registered and “why they should vote for me,” he said.  He would encounter them while knocking on doors and delight in hearing them say “I talked to your mom.”

“Believe it or not,” he offered, his son Aida and daughter Josephine were in on the action.  He would come across parents informing him that their children attended the same school “and that they would vote for me.”

In charge of the family affair was his wife Amy, his “campaign manager and chief strategist.” He accords her high praise for her “impressive political operation, issuing sets of 11 mailers, 15 text messages, handing out 6,000 door hangers and making thousands of phone calls.”

Currently the Community and Government Relations representative for BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit), Nagales counts himself lucky to be able to carry on both roles, though he has had to give up membership on some local and regional levels to focus on his day job.

“I still retain several high-ranking regional roles which has helped me steer millions of dollars back to South San Francisco,” he stressed, adding, “I want to thank the voters of Westborough for putting their trust in me.”

Impressed

The decisive victories augur favorably for the Filipino American political empowerment agenda, area and community leaders concur.

“Voters came out in force for Fil-Am candidates in north San Mateo County and it showed big in Daly City with incredible victories and a high voter turnout for Mayor Juslyn Manalo and Councilman Glenn Sylvester. It also showed big in South San Francisco with the victory of Fil-Am incumbent candidate Mark Nagales,” noted County Board of Supervisors Vice President David Canepa, who represents District 5.

Daly City and South San Francisco are the most populous municipalities in that northernmost district in the county.

Himself a former council member and mayor of Daly City, Canepa encouraged the winners to consider looking beyond the local arena.

“These public servants, their messages and values have resonated with voters for years and I see bright political futures for all of them and for the next generation of Fil-Am candidates who call north San Mateo County home,” he told Inquirer.net USA.

The election results elated local political kingmaker Ray Satorre, a board member of Daly City-based Pilipino Bayanihan Resource Center or PBRC.

Given the organization’s mission to “empower Fil-Ams in political and social aspects,” he said, the results validate their efforts to “promote the Fil-Am political agenda, social dignity, equality and independence.”

North San Mateo County Fil-Ams’ triumph reached across San Francisco Bay, earning contemplative commendation from Alameda County and vicinity organizer Cynthia Bonta.

“I believe Filipino electeds have cultural values like Bayanihan and Kapwa that teach us collectivity and community – the essence of servant-leadership – as they empower their constituencies, their beloved communities to realize their people power as engaged participants in our democracy,” the pioneer organizer and social justice activist said.

Meanwhile Nagales’ ally and current SSF Mayor James Coleman, who also topped his District 4 race, recognized the Filipino electorate: “I’m proud and honored to have earned their votes.  The most enthusiastic people about our campaign were pretty consistently our Filipino neighbors and I will work hard to make South City the best city it can be for our entire community,” he told Inquirer.net USA.