… patuloy na naglilingkod … kumakalinga …

Congressman Neptali M. Gonzales II is in the forefront of public service for more than two decades. Boyet, as he is fondly called by friends and constituents, was the first Congressman of Mandaluyong when it was converted into a city in 1995. Since then until 2004, he was the Congressman of the city. He was elected City Mayor in 2004, and again as Congressman in 2007 until 2016.

In 2019, he ran unopposed for Congressman and received an overwhelming mandate of 127,268 votes, the highest in the election history of Mandaluyong. This is more than an affirmation of the people’s trust and confidence in his leadership that even without opposition the Mandaluyong constituency still went out to cast their votes for him.

When he started as a neophyte solon in the 10th Congress way back in 1995, he served on eight congressional committees, including the Committee on Rules. In the opening session of the 11th Congress, he was chosen as one of the two Vice-Chairpersons of the Committee on Rules then chaired by Majority Leader Rep. Mar Roxas of Capiz City. Eventually, he became Majority Leader toward the end of the 11th Congress. He held that position in the 12th, 14th, 15th and 16th Congress, and holds the distinction of having served Congress as Majority Leader for the longest period.

In his first nine years as Congressman, he authored 33 bills and was co-author of 92 bills. In his first term, he also held the distinction of being one of two neophyte members of this Congress to have the most number of bills adopted as laws of the land. For his district, Hon. Gonzales improved the city youth’s access to quality education through the construction of the City of Mandaluyong Science High School, provided additional classrooms and school facilities for a growing student population, and led the conversion of the Rizal Technological Colleges into a state university. For this very significant contribution, the RTU conferred him a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration (Honoris Causa) in October 2003.

During his brief 3-year term (2004-2007) as Mayor for Mandaluyong, he fully supported the implementation of physical and social infrastructures which significantly elevated the level of public service efficiency in Mandaluyong. As Mayor of Mandaluyong, Hon. Gonzales pushed the envelope of local governance by initiating innovations in computerization, social infrastructures, and urban renewal. He especially pushed for the uplift of health care in the city by strengthening the city’s only public hospital and empowering all health centers for preventive health care. He instituted fresh initiatives in local fiscal reforms and tax collection which tremendously improved the city’s fiscal health. He facilitated housing for the poor by enjoining private entities to give their support to the program. His administration’s partnership with the Gawad Kalinga, the SM Foundation, Inc. and the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission gave decent housing to more than a thousand families in the city. Most significant during his term is the boost of employees’ morale on public service through positive reinforcements in human resource development.

For the Mandaluyong constituency, Hon. Gonzales has continually committed himself in bringing a highly effective level of public service in the field of infrastructure, education, and health. Thousands of scholars have been aided in their college education, and the youth and students are able to enjoy schooling with better facilities and classrooms.

Now in the 18th Congress as a comebacking Congressman, Hon. Gonzales is hopeful that his leadership experience will serve his district well in terms of passing more salient bills for his people, and providing better improvements in all facets of public service in Mandaluyong.

Cong. Gonzales is married to former Congw. Alexandria P. Gonzales, with who he has twin children, Neptali III and Ysabel Candida. He has a daughter, Christine Olivia, from a previous marriage to the late Josephine F. Gonzales.

Among the secrets of Hon. Gonzales’ success in politics is his deep sense of faith. Born into a family of evangelical preachers and active laity, Hon. Gonzales firmly upholds the maxim that for a Christian “worship and work must be one.” His public and private persona, then, is an expression of his faith, an upholding of the ethics of character, integrity, and service to others.