THE senatorial candidates of the administration’s “Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas” have been campaigning individually during weekdays to cover more grounds with only more than two months left before the May 12 midterm elections.
From holding two to three campaign rallies in provincial sorties with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during the first two weeks of the campaign period, the members of the Alyansa slate are now going around the country individually to bring their messages to the grass roots level.
The 12-man administration slate, however, is not ditching campaign rallies altogether as they will continue to campaign with Marcos during rallies, which is now limited to once a week.
Last Friday, the administration slate, accompanied by the president, held a campaign rally in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, the seventh leg of the Alyansa’s 21 provincial sorties.
This Friday, the whole Alyansa slate is scheduled to hold a campaign rally at the Kaogma grounds in Pili, Camarines Sur.
Navotas City Rep. Toby Tiangco, the team’s campaign manager, earlier said the administration’s senatorial candidates have the “momentum,” coming from the strong reception in their first six sorties in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte; Iloilo City; Carmen, Davao del Norte; Pasay City, Metro Manila; Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental; and Victorias City, Negros Occidental.
Tiangco has said there will be no let-up in campaigning as the administration ticket has now entered a “critical” phase of its campaign as it heads to other vote-rich provinces of Camarines Sur, Leyte, Pampanga, Cavite, and Laguna this month.
The Alyansa is composed of reelectionist Senators Bong Revilla, Lito Lapid, Imee Marcos, Pia Cayetano and Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino; former senators Vicente Sotto III, Panfilo Lacson and Manny Pacquiao; Rep. Erwin Tulfo (PL, ACT-CIS), and Las Piñas City Rep. Camille Villar, Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay, and former Interior Secretary and Mandaluyong City Mayor Benhur Abalos.
Yesterday, Pacquiao campaigned in Tagbilaran, Bohol where he pushed for concrete solutions to address the rising cost of fish, such as subsidies for local fisherfolk to reduce operational costs, increased funding for modern fishing equipment and stronger enforcement against illegal fishing that depletes marine resources.
“Marami tayong mangingisda sa Bohol at sa buong bansa, pero bakit ang taas ng presyo ng isda sa palengke? Kailangan nating siguruhin na abot-kaya ito para sa bawat Pilipino (There are a lot of fishermen in Bohol and in the whole country but why is the price of fish still high in wet markets? We have to ensure that it is affordable for every Filipino),” he said.
Pacquiao also reaffirmed his commitment to uplifting the welfare of farmers and the agricultural sector by expanding farm-to-market roads, providing better irrigation systems and promoting sustainable farming technologies.
Citing Bohol’s tourism potential, Pacquiao stressed the importance of revitalizing the industry post-pandemic. “Bohol is a world-class destination. We need to invest in infrastructure, support local entrepreneurs, and ensure that our natural attractions are well-protected,” he said.
The eight division world champion then vowed to push for increased government funding for tourism-related projects and incentives for businesses that promote eco-tourism.
Pacquiao also raised concerns over the subsiding shorelines in Bohol, which he said poses a threat to both livelihoods and homes, and called for an urgent coastal protection program, which includes reforestation of mangroves, stricter environmental regulations, and a long-term study on mitigating land subsidence.
He also visited Romblon, Cebu where the Liga ng mga Barangay and local officials from the first district backed his bid to return to the Senate.
Speaking to barangay officials in Romblon, Pacquiao underscored the crucial role of barangay workers and frontliners in maintaining peace and order, delivering essential government services, and safeguarding the welfare of communities, especially the poor.
He vowed to push for legislation that will increase honoraria, provide healthcare benefits, and strengthen the security of tenure for barangay officials and workers.
During a meeting with barangay captains and mayors at Dulce Hotel in Naga, Cebu, he reiterated his commitment to empowering local government units (LGUs) by ensuring the full implementation of the Supreme Court’s 2018 Mandanas ruling, which states that Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) should be computed on the basis of all national revenue collections and not just on the internal revenue take of the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
Meanwhile, Camille Villar, the daughter of outgoing Sen. Cynthia Villar and former senator Manuel Villar, also campaigned in Cebu City where she likewise held a dialogue with members of the Liga ng mga Barangay Romblon Chapter.
The two-term lawmaker from Las Piñas reiterated anew the importance of the role of barangay leaders in ensuring that government’s services are delivered to the people in the communities as she vowed to pursue legislation that would improve the benefits of barangay workers.
“I can feel the daily challenges you face everyday. You are my inspiration. This is why I strive to work harder to serve the public the best way I can,” she said.
Last Tuesday, the millennial lawmaker also met with barangay leaders in Iloilo and Palawan. She also mingled with representatives of the marginalized sector.
In Capiz, Villar vowed to work on ensuring that current laws that protect farmers from unscrupulous traders and profiteers are properly implemented, citing, for one, the Anti-Economic Sabotage Law.
Also yesterday, Tolentino was in Biñan, Laguna where he visited hundreds of fire victims at the Gonzalez Compound in Sitio Pulo, Barangay Dela Paz, where he distributed food and vowed to give additional assistance.
The area was not part of Tolentino’s motorcade from Muntinlupa City but he changed the route after learning that at least 60 houses were razed to the ground by the fire.
