BATANG MAYNILA
I am simply overwhelmed and at a loss for words for the warmth of those I have met during my recent consultation meetings particularly with the grassroots, in the various provinces I have visited so far.
These are the fisher folk, farmers and public market vendors, as well as students and ordinary residents, who show unparalleled enthusiasm to wait for me and then listen to what I have to say. They also actively engage with me during my entire talk and I really, really appreciate and thank them for it.
Topping it all is the positive response I have been getting for asking the people toinvest in me and my team, composed of my running mate Doc Willie Ong and our senatorial candidates, namely Carl Balita, Samira Gutoc and Atty. Jopet Sison.
I am extending the same invitation to our dear readers and the public in general. What kind of investment am I talking about?
It’s simple. All I ask is for each and everyone to spare me a peso to text at least one other person to support my candidacy if they want real change to happen in the country.
Those who have access to free public WiFi in fact need not spare a peso and can text more than one – be it their friends, relatives or mere acquaintances. A social media post or sharing a post in my favor will also go a long way.
Why am I asking for this? The answer is simple.
My life is an open book. I am neither a child of a rich or powerful political clan or dynasty, nor the spouse of anyone who has held power in the past. I do not have the kind of money that presidentiables should normally have. I do not have such ‘well-oiled’ political machineries to back my candidacy. There is no other politican bearing my surname (Domagoso) in the entire country.
This being the case, I can only rely on the ordinary masses to help me lead the country to a better place specially since I am fighting political bigwigs. Literally.
I am banking on the help of the ordinary Filipinos who share my dream of finally realizing real, positive change for our future and the future of our children.
For decades on end, political bickerings between two of the country’s most powerful families have dominated the politican scene in the country. Power was also trivialized as something that can be handed down to a family member like a pice of clothing.
We have experienced first-hand how it had been a tug-of-war of power as well as vengeance and counter-vengeance. Caught in the middle meanwhile are the ordinary people who are buried deeper into poverty and lack of attention in terms of basic needs specially when it comes to health, economics and education.
I just want to utilize all my youth and energy in finally putting an end to all these and introduce much-needed reforms via good and honest governance.
I am no saint. I too have made mistakes in the past but I was able to rise above it and become a better leader, modesty aside.
When I ran for mayor in 2019, I also made promises. Humbly speaking, we were able to fulfill all of these promises and even went beyond.
I could simply seek reelection and win handily but seeing that the political figures seeking the top post in the land are the very same ones who have been at each other’s necks for decades now has made me decide to seek the presidency.
There is a need to overhaul the country’s political system and this can only be done if we choose new blood. New leaders who have new ideas and are running for the purpose of serving and not to exact revenge.
The accomplishments we have made in Manila in just a two-year period are the promises I made in 2019 and which, at that time, I said will be realized in ten years. This is what my team’s “BilisKilos” slogan is all about. What we projected to be achievable in ten years, we achieved in just two years.
Back in 2019,I also faced political giants and a group of moneyed individuals even ganged upon me. It was the people of Manila that really helped me get the mayorship with an overwhelming lead.
I am now banking on the same kind of support this time, hopefully, on a nation wide basis. If we want real change, let us do it together.
On this note, let me impart an adage made popular by physicist Albert Einstein: "Don't expect different results tomorrow if what you did today is the same as yesterday."
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Gaya ng paulit-ulit kong sinasabi, kailangan ko ang tulong ninyong lahat. Walang mag mamalasakit sa Maynila kundi tayo ring mga Batang Maynila. Manila, God first!
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For updates on latest developments in the city of Manila, please visit my Facebook account--- ‘Isko Moreno Domagoso.’