Presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo toured around Aklan and Antique in Panay Island on Wednesday, Feb. 16, to fortify her hold on one of the Liberal Party’s last remaining stronghold in the Visayas region.
Despite running as an independent candidate, the Vice President remains the chairman of the Liberal Party, and won by a landslide in the region during the 2016 vice-presidential race.
Robredo credited her 2016 win to the people of Panay Island, which has an estimated 1.9 million voters then.
The aspiring president said she was surprised by the support from several groups in the region.
“Actually nakakagulat na ganito ka-grabe. Alam namin na may mga volunteers kami dito pero hindi namin alam na ganito ka-extensive. So, nagpapasalamat kami. Sobrang overwhelming para sa amin (It is surprising that it’s this much. We know that we have volunteers here but we didn’t know it is this extensive. So, we are very thankful. It is very overwhelming for us),” Robredo added.
As Vice President, she spearheaded a number of programs in Antique, particularly the one for farmers since the concentration of the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) Angat Buhay program is on livelihood, education, and health.
Robredo shared that the OVP also has some community learning hubs in the province to help students during the pandemic when schools closed down.
They also have livelihood programs and medical assistance.
In his introduction of Robredo, Vice Governor Edgar Denosta said that the lady vice president has never forgotten about Antiquenos that she immediately sent 1,000 sacks of rice to them following the onslaught of Typhoon “Odette” in December.
He revealed that Robredo is no stranger to Antique because her mother’s side, the Gerona clan, has roots there.
“At sa pagkilala natin, pagkakilala ng mga karamihan na ang ating Vice President Leni, kahit na maliit 'yung pondo ng kanyang opisina, ito po ay kaniyang nagawan ng paraan. Tama po ba? Ang pagtulong sa nangangailangan, lalo na sa panahon ng pandemya at kalamidad (And as we know about our Vice President Leni, even though her office has a small budget, she was able to do something about this. Right? Helping those in need, especially during the pandemic and calamities),” Robredo said.
Earlier, Robredo visited the Antique Provincial Capitol in San Jose de Buenavista, Antique and held a sectoral assembly with the Robredo People’s Council where she was awarded a Leni-Ay Kang Antique sash for being an ambassador of goodwill and a role model to other women.
She also visited Bishop Marvyn Maceda and several Catholic religious groups at the Bishop’s residence in Bantayan Road, San Jose de Buenvasita.
Robredo was in Panay Island to campaign with her running mate Kiko Pangilinan and their senatorial slate—lawyers Alex Lacson and Chel Diokno and reelectionist Senator Richard Gordon.
Former Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano was also there to represent former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who is running under the Robredo-Pangilinan ticket, as well as lawyer Dino De Leon, the representative of detained Senator Leila de Lima.