Fernandez, Lim squaring off in Dagupan City mayoral race

LEFT IMAGE: Mayor Belen Fernandez (R) with Vice Mayor Bryan Kua. RIGHT IMAGE: Dagupan City councilor Celia Lim (L) with former Dagupan City mayor Brian Lim (C) and daughter Irene Lim.  (Official Facebook page of Mayor Belen T. Fernandez and PNA)

DAGUPAN CITY—Two prominent businesswomen are set to compete for this city’s mayoral seat in next year’s elections as incumbent Mayor Belen Fernandez is being challenged by Councilor Celia Lim, who officially filed her certificate of candidacy (COC) on Monday, Oct. 7.

Lim, running under the Nacionalista Party, was joined by her son, former Mayor Brian Lim, who is her vice mayoral candidate, along with their full slate of councilors.

Fernandez and Lim were originally set to face off in the 2016 elections, but Celia withdrew before the campaign began.

Celia is the widow of former Mayor Benjamin Lim, who suffered a stroke and lost the 2013 election, passing away six years later.

In 2019, Brian defeated Fernandez for the mayoral post, but Fernandez reclaimed the post in 2022.

Brian emphasized that Monday’s COC filing highlights the city’s vibrant democracy, as residents will have a clear choice in the upcoming election.

Celia said that she accepted the challenge to run in order to “set a good example” and offer “genuine public and social services” to the people of Dagupan City.

Both families are prominent business owners in the region.

The Lim family runs the Magic Group of Companies, while the Fernandez family owns City Supermarket, Inc., with both businesses having established strong presences across Pangasinan and neighboring provinces.