A regular working day on Thursday, Dec. 9 showed thousands of Quezon City residents taking time off from their busy schedules to warmly welcome presidential aspirant Sen. Manny Pacquiao.
Pacquiao, who came without other candidates from his team, easily gathered a similar big crowd of QC folk that attended the caravan of Bongbong-Sara UniTeam Coalition and its local candidates, observers claimed.
The UniTeam visited QC during the Our Lady of Immacuate Conception day, a holiday.
Pacquiao was nearly mobbed by fans and supporters during his brief visit to areas in the city.
“Ala ko ang mga mahihirap na tao nasa akin ang suporta. Tumatakbo ako para sa kanilang lahat, hindi para sa akin. (I know the poor are supporting me. I am running for them, not for me.),” Pacquiao told reporters who covered the event in Barangays Payatas and Batasan Hills.
After his motorcade and press conference, Pacquiao paid a courtesy call to the barangay officials of the vote-,rich Batasan Hills led by Punong Barangay Jojo Abad where he was mobbed by thousands of supporters.
From Batasan, Pacquiao proceeded to Brgy. Payatas, another highly populated barangay in Quezon City.
He was joined by barangay captain Manny Guarin, Pacquiao addressed the residents who waited for hours just to see their idol.
In his speech, Pacquiao reminded the people of Payatas to pursue their dreams and not to lose hope despite the hardships and seemingly insurmountable challenges that they face.
"Itong inyong napakainit na pagtanggap ay hinding-hindi ko makakalimutan. (I will never forget your warm welcome). " Pacquiao said.
He presented to the huge crowd his anti-poverty master plan that included employment generation, housing, food sufficiency and education-for-all.
"Ayaw ko na may pamilyang walang tahanan. Pag inilagay tayo ng panginoon bibigyan ko ng tahanan ang bawat pamilya, (I don’t want to see a family without a home. If God puts me there I will give homes to each family),” said Pacquiao as he added that his platform of government will be centered on ending corruption in government.
The boxing icon said if the government is not corrupt, it can adequately provide for the needs of the people and allow them to have a decent and comfortable life.
Pacquiao also stopped by the MRB Compound on Commonwealth AVenue for a gift-giving activity along with 1Pacman party-list led by Rep. Eric Pineda.