Grandma, ‘Erap’ seek Barangay Council seats in May 14 elections

SELF-RELIANCE Yolanda Lariosa, 77, is producing her own campaign materials from used tarps in her bid to win a council seat in the barangay elections. —JIGGER J. JERUSALEM

A former President’s namesake and an arthritic 77-year-old grandmother are running for seats in their village councils in Monday’s barangay elections — one hoping his public service record and popular nickname and the other her sheer determination to serve would get them enough votes to win.

Yolanda Lariosa, a mother of nine, wants to serve as kagawad (village councilor) for the 18,000 residents of Barangay Patag in Cagayan de Oro City, but she knows that she had to first overcome her lack of money for campaign materials to compete against 33 other candidates.

Not to be discouraged, the resourceful widow bought a large used tarp for P20 and cut it up into smaller pieces for posters and handbills where she wrote her name with a black pen.

“That’s all I can afford. I don’t have any money, but I really want to run,” she said.

Her campaign materials, which she personally distributed around Patag despite her arthritis, were ridiculed and laughed at by some residents because they were not colorful and printed like the others.

Their reactions didn’t dampen her spirit. “I want them to see that I am sincere,” she said.

Social media attention

Her efforts were noticed by many on social media, where pictures showing her personally hanging her handmade posters went viral, especially on Facebook, where they generated at least 24,000 likes, 4,100 comments and 12,000 shares.

Some netizens were so moved by her determination that they ordered tarpaulin posters for her.

Nanay Yolanda, whose father was Patag’s first elected barangay chief, was a plain homemaker before she was widowed.

For the past 14 years since her husband died, she was an active member of the barangay’s peace and order committee, which helps settle disputes among villagers.

In 2014, she served as the senior citizens’ coordinator for Patag, which has been her home since 1946.

She was also a prayer leader during wakes in her barangay and a “runner” following up the benefits for veterans’ families. Sometimes, she was even a beautician.

“I think it’s in my blood to serve the people,” she said. “Since my husband passed away and my children had grown up, I have been active in our barangay. I want to continue serving, this time as a barangay kagawad.”

Duterte slogan

In Digos City, south of Cagayan de Oro, 52-year-old Joseph “Erap” Estrada is campaigning to keep his seat as kagawad in Barangay Zone II.

His name and good ties with his village mates made it easy for Erap to win as kagawad the first time he ran for public office in 2002, championing health, blood donation and antidisaster programs for the village of 8,402.

However, it seemed that what won him a kagawad seat wasn’t enough for him to succeed in his run for the city council in 2010, losing to more popular and moneyed candidates.

He decided to serve his barangay again and won a fresh mandate as kagawad in 2013.

Erap, who has adopted President Duterte’s slogan, “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa” (From the masses, for the masses), told the Inquirer he felt confident about winning again as he campaigned house-to-house.

Erap said that as in the past, disaster risk reduction would be his primary concern because “we’ll never know when calamity strikes.”

“It is important that the people are prepared at all times,” he said.

Crime prevention will also be among his priorities as his barangay hosts part of the city’s commercial district, where malls, banks and major schools are located, he said. — REPORTS FROM JIGGER JERUSALEM AND ELDIE AGUIRRE