Accomplishments

Mayor Faderanga was in the forefront of Banton’s march to progress through the years which span over the late years of the Marcos dictatorship, the economic crisis worsened by the death of Ninoy Aquino, the change in the national leadership triggered by the EDSA revolution and the years of economic recovery under the Ramos administration. He led the Bantoanon’s in weathering the challenges brought about by natural calamities, politics, and the economy during the past two decades.

Foremost among his projects is the energization of Banton particularly Poblacion and the nearby barangays. Now under the National Power Corporation, through his efforts, it initially started with a small-scale electrification system that lighted Poblacion for roughly three hours during the night and an hour in the early morning. He also initiated the energization of Barangays Mainit, Togong, Tan-ag and Nasunogan through the help of Congressman Madrona.

An educator himself, he has improved the means to a better education in the island. Under his administration, the municipality purchased the Banton High School which was then renamed Banton Municipal High School. He worked for its conversion to a national high school to give the Bantoanons the full benefits accorded by the national government’s free education program. Likewise, he was responsible for the nationalization of Tungonan Brgy. High School. Moreover, he has constructed more than a hundred classrooms and expanded the Banton Central School grounds. Finally, he brought education closer to the young kids of Balogo with the establishment of Balogo Primary School.

His desire to provide Bantoanons with better basic services led to the construction of spring water systems at Barangays Tan-ag, Togong, Banice, and Poblacion; roughly a hundred rain collectors throughout the island, and artesian wells numbering more than all the wells constructed by previous mayors.

He also provided Bantoanons with better access to social services with the establishment of four barangay Day Care centers and improvement of barangay health centers throughout the municipality. He made possible the government’s food assistance program to the elderly and the malnourished children. Under his administration, Banton consistently topped in the nutrition program, not only of the province, but also of the region.

Responding to environmental concerns, he has initiated reforestation programs with the Demo Farm at Lagang, Balogo, Tan-ag, Togbongan and Togong. He lead the Bantoanons in bringing honor to the island as it consistently won the Clean and Green contest in both the provincial and regional levels.

For agriculture, he has established various livelihood projects for the residents such as cattle dispersal, hog dispersal, goat dispersal, small scale cottage industry and seeds dispersal. Through his efforts, the Solar Dryer and Agricultural Center at Brgy. Togong was constructed.

Finally, he built infrastructures all over Banton which includes Barangay Halls in almost all barangays, the biggest and most beautiful municipal hall in the province, the Banton Guest House, basketball courts in most of the barangays, the Banton Port, sea walls at Nasunogan, Tungonan and Poblacion, bridges in Poblacion, Sibay and Togong, the Circumferential Road, cemented roads extending from Togong to Nasunogan and Libtong through Poblacion. Such infrastructures provided job opportunities to Bantoanon laborers, led to better transportation and communications and more economic activities between barangays.

Leadership

More important than the progress he brought Banton, he ran the municipal government with utmost honesty, integrity, and fairness. He gave Bantoanons an unblemished record of seventeen years of public service. Yes, seventeen years in his post did not make him a rich man in terms of material wealth.

He managed the meager municipal government resources so that opportunities are equitably distributed between Bantoanons disregarding political color. Such has continuously won him the hearts of those on the other side of the fence that ensured his continued stay in the office for nearly two decades.

Most importantly, he remained to be a person of low profile. Thus, Bantoanon masses really felt can that he is one of them. Maybe only in Banton will one can see a townsfolk hurrying to the seaside to buy for himself some fish but forgetting to bring cash who would not hesitate calling the mayor in front of his residence, "Mayor, mautang anay baga." (Mayor, may I borrow some money.) Only in Banton may one regularly see common people eating in the Mayor’s residence his wife, herself, serving them food. Even residents of the nearby islands ran to the mayor for emergency needs. Only in Banton that ordinary townsfolk regard the mayor as their friend more than their mayor.

No wonder, he is the most loved mayor Banton has ever had.

The Man

Mayor Faderanga was born on February 27, 1943 to the late Uladarico Faderanga of Togong, and Cerelina Fadri of Togbongan. He is happily married to the former Milagros Fadri with five children namely, Cheramie, Jomel, John Paul, Lucky and Pretzel.

He was a product of the Banton Elementary School and the Banton High School, now Banton National High School. He completed his college studies at Trinity College in A.A. B.S.E. major in Political Science, cum laude. He also had masteral units in the same college.

He passed the Professional Examination (First Grade) and the Teachers’ Board Exam which landed him a teaching job at the Banton High School. He taught for nine years.

He had a taste of politics when he ran and was elected as municipal councilor. He served as councilor for nine years before he was appointed Population Officer, a position he held for four years. He then served as a member of the Provincial Board and for four years also.

He won the mayoralty race in a record landslide victory in the 1980 elections. Thereafter, he was re-elected, winning convincingly over his opponents. In the recent elections, he won a seat in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Romblon.

Aspirations

For the beloved mayor, public service does not end in Banton. Neither does his concern for Banton ends with the expiration of his term as mayor of this island municipality. As he serves as SP Member, he wishes to extend his expertise in public service to fellow Romblomanons and represent our beloved hometown and the Maghali Group, in the same manner that he did it to his townmates for three terms, with utmost sincerity and the highest commitment.

History has written on its leaves. Mayor Faderanga is the longest-serving head of the municipality, the most loved mayor ever, and the most outstanding so far. He is one of the greatest Bantoanons.

For all of these, the mayor has earned for himself titles, coined by different Bantoanon writers, one of which is the "Architect of Banton’s Progress".