Vice President Leni Robredo said she was surprised at the significant number of people who turned out and participated during the nationwide motorcade for her and her running mate Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan over the weekend.
She initially thought that only a few would participate in the event since there were pro-opposition caravans and motorcades held in different parts of the country in the past days already.
“So iniisip ko, Ka Ely, kasi nagawa na noong iba, baka kaunti na lang iyong mag-participate noong kahapon. Pero, Ka Ely, nagulat kami. Nagulat kami kasi from north to south talaga iyong nag-participate (So I was thinking, Ka Ely, because others have already done it, maybe only a few will participate yesterday . But, Ka Ely, we were surprised because those participated were really from north to south),” she said during her weekly radio show with her co-host Ely Saludar.
Robredo mentioned that there were caravans held as far as Cagayan and Isabela in the north, as well as in Baguio, Pangasinan, Pampanga, and even as far down south as Davao, the Duterte family’s bailiwick.
Numerous groups joined the motorcade in Metro Manila; in Tarlac, pink confetti rained down along F. Tañedo, the province’s main thoroughfare, during the parade.
Social media posts from volunteer groups claimed that the confetti used during the parade was made of biodegradable materials and they were also cleaned up by volunteers after the event.
READ: Robredo thanks supporters after ‘volunteer-driven’ caravan; ’Tuloy lang tayo’
More than 10,000 vehicles in around 50 cities nationwide held the Caravan of Hope for Robredo and Pangilinan. The motorcade was done to express their support and readiness to campaign for the opposition’s tandem.
On Sunday, Oct. 24, more motorcades were held in Cavite, Bulacan, Oriental Mindoro, Makati, and Marikina. The province-wide motorcade in Cavite took supporters until almost afternoon to finish since they went from Kawit town to Naic to Tagaytay, and finally down to Bacoor.
Cavitenos for Leni said some 700 vehicles participated in the event.
In a Facebook post, Robredo also acknowledged the “lugaw (porridge) cart” in Bohol. Decked in pink tarpaulin, the tricycle-powered food cart made rounds in the province to serve porridge to people.
READ: Leni, Kiko have high hopes; say ‘more needs to be done’
The presidential aspirant has been called "lugaw queen" by her detractors after her supporters in 2016 raised funds for her campaign by selling porridge.
Robredo has since embraced what was initially an insult.
She also shared photos of her supporters diving deep into the sea and holding tarpaulins of “Leni Robredo 2022.”
This was similar to the fluvial parade held by her supporters in Cebu City where fisherfolks sailed from Talisay City to Cordova town along the Mactan channel. They covered their motorized boats with Robredo’s and Pangilinan’s tarpaulins.