Mencit Bascon, first Himamaylan City mayor and political matriarch, dies
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – The matriarch of one of the most influential political clans in Negros Occidental passed away on Tuesday, January 14.
Former Himamaylan City mayor Carminia “Mencit” Gatuslao-Bascon died at the Riverside Medical Center in Bacolod City at around 2:30 am, her nephew, lawyer and former provincial board member Alain Gatuslao, confirmed to Rappler.
Bascon succumbed to complications leading to multiple organ failure, attributed to old age. She was 88.
“She was like a simple, accessible mother to all,” said Gatuslao.
Mencit belonged to the prominent Gatuslao political clan, which started to hold influence in Negros Occidental during the administration of the late strongman Ferdinand E. Marcos.
Her father, the late Agustin Gatuslao, served as a congressman, while her uncle, the late Valeriano Gatuslao, was a former provincial governor.
Two of her brothers, Antonio, or “Tony Gat,” and the late Hernan, also had political careers. Antonio served as an assemblyman under the 1983 parliamentary government, while Hernan served as Himamaylan mayor in 1993 but passed away during his first term.
Mencit made history as the first elected mayor of Himamaylan just two months after it was categorized as a component city of the province in March 2001, serving until 2010.
She then served as vice mayor under her son, Agustin Ernesto “Tinto,” who succeeded her as mayor from 2010 to 2019.
Bascon had also been the mayor of Himamaylan when it was still a municipality from 1995 to 1998. In total, she dedicated 12 years as mayor and nine years as vice mayor to her hometown.
During her tenure, Mencit, the widow of hotelier and sportsman Oscar “Dondong” Bascon, was admired for her motherly approach as a political leader.
“She will be best remembered for being soft-spoken and down-to-earth, particularly toward Himamaylanons, especially women,” said Himamaylan Vice Mayor Justin Gatuslao, one of her nephews.
He credited her for reconciling estranged Gatuslao family members late last year.
Bascon’s passing comes on the heels of another family loss – her eldest sister, Ditay Gatuslao-Santiago, widow of the late Bulacan governor Ignacio Santiago, died in 2024.
Himamaylan Mayor Raymund Tongson said the city was mourning Bascon’s passing. “On behalf of the city and the people of Himamaylan, we deeply mourn the loss of former Mayor Mencit Bascon. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Bascon family during this difficult time. May she rest in peace,” he said.
Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr., one of Bascon’s contemporaries, expressed his grief, calling her “a pillar of strength for the Gatuslao political clan.”
Bascon’s remains will be brought to Himamaylan, where a wake will be held at the Lady of Snow Parish Church on Wednesday and Thursday, January 15 and 16.
She will then be moved to Bacolod, with a wake at the Acropolis Garden in Barangay Bata on Friday and Saturday, January 17 and 18, before being laid to rest at Bacolod Memorial Park on Sunday, January 19. – Rappler.com