FIL-AM Guillermo Udarbe, a 70-year-old Doctor became the first Asian and Filipino Mayor of Ridgway, Pennsylvania earlier this year.
Ridgway, located about 120 miles Northeast of Pittsburgh, is a small town of about 4,500 people that has less than a two percent minority population, 0.7 percent of which are Asians, according to City-data.com.
Udarbe, who specializes in family practice, said he decided to run for Mayor of Ridgway after surviving a car accident that led to a fatality.
On a snowy morning last January 8 of 2008, Udarbe was driving when a car in the opposing direction veered out of control and slammed against the front of Udarbe’s vehicle. The driver of that car died at the scene while Udarbe only suffered minor injuries.
He told the Ridgway Record, the local newspaper, that he felt God wanted him serve the people of Ridgway.
"I sat back and realized that probably the Lord had taken him to live with him because he must’ve fulfilled what the Lord has for him," Udarbe told the Ridgway Record. "I said ‘He spared my life, He wanted me to do something,’ so that is really why He did not ask me to go and live with Him.
"So I decided to throw my hat into the political ring and I won the election. I felt it was a message to me to serve the people even more."
Udarbe said he wants to make a difference in the town of Ridgway. His vision for the town includes renovating dilapitated buildings and possibly expanding the area.
Udarbe graduated from the Manila Central University-Filemon D Tanchoco Foundation, College Of Medicine at Caloocan, Philippines in 1965.
He speaks three languages – English, Spanish and Tagalog.
( Published August 18, 2010 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. B3 )
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
