Barangay leaders, fisherfolk, farmers, and other people’s organizations await the arrival of presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo for a covenant signing at the Eastern Samar Provincial Capitol Gym, Borongan City, Eastern Samar on Tuesday, March 29, 2022. (VP Leni Media Bureau)
BORONGAN, EASTERN SAMAR — Deliver her the presidency, and Vice President Leni Robredo will deliver Samar from poverty.
This was the covenant she signed with Eastern Samar local officials Tuesday, as they showed up big for her during her two-day barnstorming across Samar Island.
All throughout, Eastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone and Northern Samar Gov. Edwin Ongchuan accompanied her in her sorties and rallied the local officials, from the mayors to the barangay captains and Sangguniang Kabataan officials, to support her bid for the presidency.
Her barnstorming here is, by far, the most consolidated display of local political force by a region for Robredo, who has been scooping up endorsements from other local officials as well.
During their barnstorming, Evardone – a key Duterte ally and PDP-Laban Visayas vice president –Ongchuan and Eastern Samar Rep. Fe Abunda made it clear they were all in for Robredo and that she was the most qualified person to be the next president of the country.
At least 20 out of 24 Eastern Samar mayors signed the covenant. Outside of the agreement, 21 out of 24 Northern Samar mayors also followed Ongchuan’s suit and endorsed Robredo for president.
During the covenant signing in Borongan, Evardone said they wanted Robredo to know “what the grievances of our people are and we want to be assured that you will not forget us when you win the presidency.”
At present, progress in Samar is hampered by weak social programs and government support. It was also one of the hardest hit by Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, which inundated the island and killed thousands.
However, Evardone and the local officials recalled how Robredo, even as a Camarines Sur congresswoman, had been among the first to help the devastated region.
To seal their commitment, they vowed to deliver her the winning votes the same way they delivered her to the vice presidency in 2016. Robredo had swept Samar Island then.
They promised anew to “mobilize every sector to support her candidacy” and translate their support into real votes.
In return, Robredo vowed to prioritize infrastructure and development projects in Samar Island so it can “graduate” from the 20 poorest provinces in the country.
“It’s important for us national officials to reach out to the farthest areas of the poorest provinces because they get the least amount of help,” she said during her Grand Rally an hour after the covenant signing. “If I were only politically motivated I wouldn’t have to go in places that are not vote-rich.”
Among others, she vowed to finish under her term the circumferential road that connects the various towns in Northern Samar.
She also promised to ensure that every area on the island would have stronger cellular and internet signals, which remains dismal on the island frequented by blackouts.
To rectify this, she proposed that government subsidize the cost of electricity and focus on the development of renewable resources.
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