Despite losing in the province in 2016, presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo said on Wednesday, Nov. 24, that it was a “pleasant surprise” to see her Bulakenyo supporters lining up along the roads from the border of Bulacan in Pulilan to Malolos City, where she was scheduled to visit for her Vaccine Express initiative.

Robredo shared that she arrived late for the next event because her supporters filled up the streets leading to it.

“Ako (For me), actually, pleasant surprise. Pleasant surprise kasi alam ko hindi ako nanalo dito noong 2016 so iyong pagpunta namin, talagang iyong balak namin Vaccine Express lang (because I know i didn’t win here in 2016, our visit is just intended for the Vaccine Express),” she said in a media interview in Malolos City.

When her Bulakenyo supporters learned that Robredo was scheduled to go to their province, they requested to meet with her.

“Akala namin handful lang pero nagulat kami, kaya kami na-late ngayon kasi papunta dito, iyong buong kalsada talaga from the boundary until here punong-puno ng tao. So nakakatuwa siya (We thought they were just a handful but we were surprised, we were late because while we were on our way here, the entire road from the boundary until here were filled with people), very heartwarming,” she said.

In 2016, Robredo only got 355,079 votes in the province while her rival, former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. received 556,480 votes.

During her visit to the province, a stationary caravan was organized by her supporters along the Pamilihang Bayan ng Pulilan and the San Isidro Labrador Parish Church.

She also attended the Pulilan Volunteers' Day Assembly held at the central gym of Pulilan Central School in Pulilan, Bulacan “to honor Pulilan's volunteer workers who provide services ranging from census gathering to maintaining peace and order, to different sectors such as senior citizens, PWDs, farmers, and fisherfolk.”

Robredo spoke with the assembly participants about the bills she pushed during her time at the 16th Congress as a Camarines Sur representative, among which were the compensation and benefits for barangay volunteers, and capacity-building for barangay officials and workers.

The Vice President also thanked the medical frontliners for their sacrifices during the pandemic.

After the assembly, she visited her office’s initiative, the Vaccine Express, at the Robinson’s Place Malolos with Bulacan Governor Daniel Fernando and Malolos City Mayor Gilbert Gatchalian.

Here, the aspiring president met with the Vaccine Express’ partners and volunteers, as well as the group Doctors for Robredo or “Robredocs.”

She is also scheduled to attend the People’s Council Event at the Barasoain Church Convent. Supporters are expected to wait for Robredo after the event.