Filipino lawyer from Aurora takes oath as mayor of Bergenfield, New Jersey

BERGENFIELD, New Jersey — Arvin Amatorio, a Filipino lawyer, has been sworn in as the mayor of Bergenfield, New Jersey.

Born and raised in Baler, Aurora, Amatorio pursued his law degree at San Beda College and studied economics at Colegio de San Juan de Letran.

While still in the Philippines, Amatorio worked at the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in 1996 where he met his wife, IIya Evangelista Amatorio.

Love brought Amatorio to America after he followed IIya to the US. He was then faced with the choice of staying in America or returning to the Philippines.

Due to his love for IIya, he chose to stay, continuing his law studies, and in 2006 he received his license to practice law in New York and New Jersey.

Before becoming the mayor in 2019, Amatorio practiced immigration law where he helped many families and gained recognition.

No one contested against Amatorio for his second term as the Mayor of Bergenfield, New Jersey.

Also elected as councilmen were two Filipino-Americans, Marc Pascual from Pasay and Buddy Deuna from Bicol.

Amatorio is the second Filipino to hold the position of mayor in Bergenfield in the past two decades under the Democratic Party.

In his speech, Amatorio proudly mentioned that he is the son of a public school teacher from Baler, Aurora, who taught him the importance of public service. —KBK, GMA Integrated News