65,000 Batanguenos show full support for Manila Mayor Isko Moreno in Lipa grand rally
LIPA CITY, Batangas – At least 65, 000 Batangueňos braved more than 9 hours of waiting Friday just to see, hear and express their full support for Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer Isko Moreno Domagoso during the Ang Bagong Lipa grand proclamation rally.
The rally, which started at 3:00 p.m., drew such a large crowd that organizers and local officials, led by Mayor Eric Africa, said they were forced to turn away a large number of people still wanting to attend the jampacked event for safety reasons.
The grand rally capped a hectic day of campaigning for Moreno. Prior to going to Lipa City, Moreno and the rest of Team Isko embarked on a series of motorcades and town hall meetings at the towns of San Juan and Balete where thousands of Batangueňos mobbed their “future President.”
Besides local officials, the event saw several senatorial bets from the different parties take the stage to woo the people of Batangas, interspersed with entertainment numbers to amuse the restless crowd who were patiently waiting for the day’s main attraction.
The arrival of the charismatic Mayor Isko at 10:00 p.m. broke the doldrum and set the tone for his speech that started a few minutes past midnight.
Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, who leads the dominant local party One Batangas, introduced and endorsed Moreno to the excited crowd.
Recto, who has earlier said that One Batangas is supporting Moreno because he possesses “the training, skills, experience and leadership to be an outstanding president,” said he chose Mayor Isko over the other presidential candidates whom he knew personally and are his close friends because he chose the country’s interest above all else.
“Sa pagpili ng isang lider ng ating bansa, hindi pwedeng barkadahan lang, hindi pwedeng ka-tropa lang. Ang unang dapat iniisip ay bayan muna bago ang sarili. At para sakin, sa panahon ngayon, ang kailangan nating pangulo, yung may pinakita na magandang programa at yung mabilis kumilos,” he said.
“Nakikita ang tunay na lider pag may krisis. Sino sa tumatakbong kandidato bilang pangulo ang nagpakita ng gilas? Si Isko lamang,” Recto said, enumerating some of the notable achievements Moreno accomplished in the Philippine capital at the height of the pandemic.
These included the establishment of the Manila Covid-19 Field Hospital in a record 52 days, modern hospitals like the Bagong Ospital ng Maynila, tablets and computers with free bandwidth for continuing education, continuous and innovative mass Covid testing and vaccination drives, and continuous ayuda in the form of food boxes to 700,000 families.
Furthermore, Recto said Mayor Isko’s life story also serves as an inspiration for the youth, for them to persist and strive hard to attain success despite facing insurmountable odds.
“Sino sa mga kumakandidato ang galing sa tunay na hirap, na naging basurero, nakinig sa magulang, nag-aral ng mabuti, naging konsehal, vice mayor at ngayon ay mayor ng kapital ng Pilipinas sa lungsod ng Maynila? Hindi ba’t magandang halimbawa yan sa ating mga anak?” he said.
“Si Isko, naging basurero, naging mayor ng Maynila. Puwede pala, posible. May awa ang Diyos,” said Recto.
Recto said Filipinos should choose Moreno because he fully believes that Mayor Isko can do to the whole country what he had done in the City of Manila. “Napakahalaga ang halalan na ito. Dahil ang halalang ito ay para sa inyo, para sa Batangueno at hindi para sa kandidato,” he said.
“Kung pupwede sana, tulungan natin si Isko maging susunod na pangulo ng bansang Pilipinas. Kausapin natin ang ating mga kaibigan, kabarkada, kapitbahay, ikampanya natin sa loob ng 45 days si Isko Moreno para maging pangulo ng ating bansa. Ang may tunay na solusyon, mabilis umaksyon. Si Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso,” Recto said.
For his part, Moreno reiterated his commitment to find ways to improve the lives and livelihood of Filipinos should he win in the upcoming elections.
If elected president, Moreno has vowed to pursue a “Life and Livelihood” economic policy that aims to address poverty, hunger, unemployment, inequality and social injustice through though the effective, efficient and prudent management of government resources under an open, transparent and inclusive administration, as spelled out under his 10-point Bilis Kilos Economic Agenda.
The 47-year-old presidential candidate vowed to cut the excise taxes of oil products and electricity by 50 percent to bring down the cost of production and lower the price of basic commodities.
Moreno also vowed to continue the Build, Build, Build program of President Rodrigo Duterte, this tike focusing on the minimum basic needs – housing, education, health care, employment – by building more socialized housing, public school buildings, public hospitals with premium facilities in all the 17 regions of the country to create more jobs and business opportunities.
“Ang daming krisis na kinakaharap ng tao, ngayon dapat maramdaman ng tao na may gobyerno siyang masasandalan,” said Moreno.
Team Isko will again motorcade and engage the people of Batangas in the towns of San Nicolas, Bauan and Sto. Tomas Saturday to cap the two-day Batangas sortie to win the hearts and votes of 1.7 million Batangueňo voters.