Shortly after Vice President Leni Robredo asked her supporters not to spend on printing tarpaulins and streamers for her yet unsure 2022 presidential bid, her supporters heeded that call and engaged in community work.
They, however, said that they will remain supportive of her if she decides to run for president next year.
Harvey Keh, the lead convenor of the Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership, said that “many #TeamLeniRobredo volunteers are setting up community feeding programs as a response to (the) VP's call to help our kababayans.”
Calling it hashtag #TulongHindiTarp, translates to “help not tarp,” 10 more groups of Robredo supporers are set to conduct a feeding program in various areas nationwide on March 13.
The tarp is in reference to presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s tarpaulins and streamers that hang in several key cities in the country. The materials urging her to run for president were supposedly printed and distributed by her supporters.
Those who want to volunteer can contact Jover Laurio, also known as the blogger behind Pinoy Ako Blog, a known critic of President Duterte.
On her social media accounts, Laurio posted photos of a feeding program Robredo’s volunteers organized.
In one post, a volunteer named Peter said that a taho (sweetened fresh and silken tofu) vendor sold them the whole container for only P1,000 instead of P1,500 when he learned that it was for a project under Robredo’s name.
“Ambag daw niya (He said it’s his contribution),” he said, referring to the taho vendor.
And since the vendor already contributed to the project, Robredo supporters took over the scooping of the taho to the beneficiaries of the feeding program. The volunteers enjoyed the experience, Peter added.
The second wave of community feeding next week will be held in Isabela, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, Liwasang Bonifacio, Luneta, Quezon City, Marikina, Antipolo, and Bulacan. These will be headed by Robredo’s supporters in those areas.
The feeding program started with three teams when Robredo made the call. It soon grew to 17 teams in total as they started their first feeding program on February 27.
Quoting Robredo, the volunteers said it’s more important to help those in need than to prioritize politics.
The vice president earlier thanked them for keeping the bayanihan spirit alive.
“Gusto ko lang ipaabot sa kanila iyong aking appreciation sa lahat na sakripisyo nila (I want to extend my appreciation to them for all their sacrifices),” she said in her last Sunday’s radio show.