Isko Moreno barnstorms Antique, home province of Domagoso clan

Mayor Isko Moreno in Antique

SAN JOSE BUENAVISTA, Antique, Philippines – Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer Isko Moreno Domagoso on Monday assured thousands of Antiqueños that if elected president, he will focus on the minimum basic needs of the people which include housing, health, education, and employment.

“Mga kababayan kong Antiqueño, humaharap po ako sa inyo para hingin ang inyong tulong at suporta. Tulungan po ninyo ako na inyong kababayan, pagkakataon lang po ang hinihingi ko at sinisiguro ko po sa inyo na hindi ko kayo bibiguin,” Moreno told more than 10,000 thousand residents, mostly youth supporters and ordinary people.

“Patuloy ko pong ipaliliwanag sa taumbayan na kung gusto nila ng peace of mind at matapos ang dekadang awayan at higantihan ng pula at dilaw, available po ako dahil ‘yun ang uunahain natin — ang kapanatagan at kapakinabangan ng tao,” Moreno said amid a cheering crowd here.

The 47-year-old presidential candidate also paid tribute to his late father, Joaquin Domagoso, who left Antique for Manila in the 1960s and worked as a stevedore in the port area.

Mayor Isko Moreno in Antique

Moreno said he is proud to be a Domagoso because it was from his father that he learned the value of hard work, persistence, and uprightness, qualities that brought him success in life.

“Ang tatay ko po na si Joaquin ay tubong San Jose de Buenavista, Antique. Katulad ng karamihan nating mga kababayan sa probinsya, lumuwas din siya sa Maynila para makipagsapalaran at humanap ng magandang oportunidad,” the Manila city mayor said.

Screaming and ecstatic supporters jostled for position as Moreno made his way to the stage where other Aksyon Demokratiko candidates were waiting for him. Some of the people in attendance even asked for his signature and have pictures with him.

Present during the campaign rally here were Moreno’s running mate Dr. Willie Ong, senatorial candidates Samira Gutoc and Jopet Sison, guest senatorial candidate John Castriciones of PDP-Laban, entertainer Mocha Uson of the party-list Mothers for Change (MoCha) and San Jose Buenavista Mayor Elmer Untaran.

Gutoc, a women’s rights advocate, said in her speech that with the country still facing a health crisis brought about by Covid-19, it is important to have a leader who is a crisis manager and works fast for the people.

“Sa oras ng kagipitan, hindi siya natakot. Tumindig siya sa Manila City Hall na kapitolyo ng Pilipinas para kalingain ang mga kabataan at senior citizens. Nagbigay ayuda sa 700,000 na pamilya. Yan ang kailangan ng kabataan, hindi takot sumugod sa sakit, hindi takot sumugod sa kahirapan, hindi takot pumasok sa problema at krisis. Yan ang isang leader, Isko Moreno Domagoso. Sya ay Antiqueño, siya ay Bisaya, atin ito,” Gutoc said.

Sison, a former Quezon City councilor, also rallied Antiqueños to support and vote for Moreno in the May 9 polls, stressing that he is the most qualified among candidates running for the presidency.

“Panahon na para sa rebolusyon sa pabahay, rebolusyon sa ospital, paaralan, trabaho, kabuhayan. Panahon na na ang ating pangulo Isko Moreno Domagoso. Ilaban natin ito, ikampanya natin sa bawat sulok ng Pilipinas dahil nasa inyo ang pag-asa, nasa inyong pangangampanya. Ipaglaban natin ang susunod na pangulo natin, Isko Moreno Domagoso,” he said.

Mothers for Change first nominee Mocha Uson, maintained that Moreno is the right person to lead the country in the next six years after President Rodrigo Duterte steps down on June 30.

Mayor Isko Moreno in Antique

“Kaya ako andito dahil naniniwala po ako na si Isko Moreno Domagoso na ang karapat-dapat na susunod na pangulo ng Pilipinas. Kung gaano ko po sinuportahan si Presidente Duterte noon, ganun po din natin susuportahan si Isko Moreno,” Uson said.

“Bakit? Siya po ay laki sa hirap, sya po ay hindi spoiled. Sya ay hindi nagbabasa ng script, hindi katulad ng iba dyan. Sila lang ang nagaaway-away. Si Isko Moreno Domagoso may sariling pag-iisip. Andito po siya dahil gusto nya tayong tulungan lahat,” she said.

Castriciones, for his part, said that when he was still secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform, he went back and forth to Western Visayas to give land, farm tools, machinery, fertilizers, solar-power irrigation systems, farm-to-market roads to farmer-beneficiaries and communities. He said this will be continued under an Isko Moreno administration.

“Sa mga kabataaan, gusto niyo ba ng mababang presyo ng petrolyo? Gusto nyo po ba ng murang presyo ng elektrisidad? Gusto nyo po ba ng magandang WIFI and internet? Gusto nyo po ng ospital? Mga paaralan? Isa lang ang solusyon dyan iboto natin si Isko Moreno Domagoso,” Castriciones said.

Doc Willie, meanwhile, said the reason why he and Mayor Isko running for the top-two positions in the country is to be able to serve the Filipino people, particularly the poor.

“Kaya kami tumatakbo ni Mayor Isko, maraming presidentiable ang lumapit sa akin pero nakita ko si Mayor Isko ang pinakamalaking maitutulong sa ating mga nanay, mga tatay, mga senior citizens at sa mga kabataan,” Ong said.

Mayor Isko Moreno in Antique

Ong explained: “Alam nyo sa Maynila, ang dami nyang binibigay na libre para sa kabataan. Ang mga estudyante sa Maynila, may P1,000 kada buwan. Tapos meron pang libreng tablet, may libreng Wafi na 20 gigs, may libreng Microsoft Office pa. May plano pa si Mayor Isko na ang mga kabataan na makakapasa ang exam sa abroad sya na ang magbabayad ng pag-aaral nyo sa abroad.”

In Carles, Iloilo, Moreno vowed to focus on the minimum basic needs of the people, especially those from the Island of Panay, which include housing, health, education and employment.

“Well, of course minimum basic needs pa rin, and ‘yung illegal the word itself will not be tolerated. Ipaparamdam natin sa mga taga- Mindanao, taga Visayas, taga-Luzon, mayaman, middle class mahirap, pantay-pantay, equal opportunity under the rule of law,” Moreno told reporters.

Moreno said he is happy to be back to Panay Island for the third time Team Isko tries to woo voters through motorcades and town hall meetings to reach as many people as possible.

He also expressed his gratitude to local officials of Carles and its people for the warm reception he and the rest of Team Isko received from them since they arrived in this town known for its fishing grounds. Later in the afternoon, Moreno and the rest of his slate also held a town hall meeting in Pototan, Iloilo.

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