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BAGUIO CITY — Lawyer Mauricio Domogan took his oath of office as district representative of Baguio City at the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center on Monday, which marked the beginning of his 31st year as political leader.
NEW OFFICIALS Baguio City Rep. Mauricio Domogan (third from left, bottom row), Mayor Benjamin Magalong (second from right, bottom row), Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan (second from left, bottom row) and members of the city council pose for a photo after the oath-taking ceremony at the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center on June 30, 2025. PHOTO BY HARLEY PALANGCHAO
Domogan, who took his oath before Baguio Regional Trial Court Branch 6 Executive Judge Michael Francisco, made history in the city’s political landscape as the oldest incumbent politician in recent memory.
He will turn 79 on Oct. 10, 2025.
Orphaned to a mother at an early age in Patician, Quirino, Ilocos Sur, Domogan was a self-supporting student until he passed the Bar in 1973.
His storied political career started when he ran for city councilor in 1988 then served until 1992.
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He ran for vice mayor in 1992 and was appointed acting mayor in the same year when then-mayor Ramon Labo Jr. was disqualified for being an Australian citizen at the time.
Domogan has served as mayor from 1992 to 2001 and as Baguio congressman from 2001 to 2010.
He held the mayoral post anew from 2010 to 2019.
He ran for congressman in 2019 but lost Mark Go. He also ran for mayor in 2022 but lost to incumbent Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who is now 68 years old.
At 78, Domogan remains influential and one of the well-respected political leaders north of Manila.
Most of his contemporaries in politics have either passed away or are now enjoying life as a private citizen.
Domogan is known for his urban recovery efforts and good governance initiatives. He was the mayor when Baguio recovered from the ruins of the 1990 killer quake that jolted most parts of Luzon.
Domogan also reaped numerous accolades such as the Lingkod Bayan Award in 1995, Likas Yaman and Soil awards, Congressional Hall of Fame, and multiple honors as an outstanding chief executive.
Other Baguio officials who also took their oath of office on Monday are Mayor Magalong, Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan and city councilors Edison Bilog, Joel Alangsab, Jose Molintas, Leandro Yangot Jr., Vladimir Cayabas, Peter Fianza, Van Dicang, Fred Bagbagen, Paolo Salvosa, Betty Lourdes Tabanda, Yuri Weygan, and Elmer Datuin.
