Vince Soriano: Elevating Pakil town to National Prominence

STA. CRUZ, Laguna – Incumbent Mayor Vince Soriano of Pakil has officially filed his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) to run for Representative of the 4th Congressional District of Laguna on Monday, October 7.

In a recent interview, Mayor Vince revealed that when he first took office, the town operated on a budget of approximately PHP 68 million. He is now awaiting approval for a working budget of PHP 225 million, a significant increase attributed to his leadership. This remarkable growth has earned Pakil recognition as the second-best local government unit (LGU) in the country for rapidly increasing its locally sourced income.

“We have proven that, even as a small town, we can achieve great things by moving away from a culture of mendicancy (dependency),” he emphasized, noting their success without relying on support from provincial or national governments.

Under his leadership, Pakil has received national accolades, including the title of 2023 Most Business-Friendly LGU in the Municipality Level 2 Category, awarded by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI).

Additionally, Pakil’s Turumba Festival has garnered recognition as the Best Tourism Event in the Festival Category at the municipal level, alongside awards for Best Tourism Promotion Special Citation for the Pakil Tourism Brochure from the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines and the Department of Tourism (ATOP-DOT).

Mayor Soriano holds a degree in sociology, cum laude, from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, and has completed a master’s degree in Development Management and Governance from the same institution.

His political journey began as the head of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Municipal Federation, making him an ex-officio member of the municipal council. He became the youngest vice mayor of Pakil at age 21, later serving as a Provincial Board Member representing the Fourth District of Laguna before being elected mayor for three terms starting in 2016.

Now, Mayor Vince Soriano is “Ready to Serve the Fourth District of Laguna “ and poised to bring his experience to the House of Representatives, with his candidacy set to be decided in the Mid-term National and Local Elections on May 12, 2025.