Representing marginalized groups in the provinces or rural areas
The “King of Primetime,” Coco Martin made his first public appearance since the pandemic a memorable one with a visit to Cebu province this March 1, Tuesday. Martin led the grand rallies of the new partylist he supports all over Cebu. The actor is now leading #164 AP Partylist in advocating for the transport and livelihood sector. “Anuman ang hirap na ating pinagdadaanan, may kakampi na tayo. Ang AP Partylist ang tutulong magbigay ng trabaho at kabuhayan sa mga manggagawang Pilipino,(Whatever difficulty we face, we have an ally. AP Partylist will help give jobs and livelihood to Filipino workers.)” he said.
Martin arrived at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport with AP Party-list first nominee Rep. Ronnie Ong. Aside from being Coco Martin’s long-time friend, Ong was also the second nominee from the previous party-list Martin supported. Coco Martin said, “Nagdesisyon kami ni Ronnie na tutulungan namin ang transport workers ngayon dahil malaki ang damage sa kanila ng pandemya. Isa pa, si Ronnie talaga ang nakita nating nagtrabaho mula noon, at araw-araw naging frontliner para sa kababayan. Kaya sinamahan at sinuportahan natin siya ngayon sa bagong partylist natin, ang AP Partylist. (We’ve decided to help transport workers because they’ve suffered the most from the pandemic. Ronnie has been working hard from the start and is a frontliner for countrymen. That’s we we’re with him and support him.)”
Toledo City Plaza became a sea of blue and white as fans and supporters eagerly met their idol, Coco Martin, and the rest of the AP Partylist nominees. Many attendees were also beneficiaries previously of AP Partylist through their COVID19 Bayanihan projects and more recently, post-Odette relief outreach activities. Coco Martin with AP Partylist also held motorcades going to their next stops, Talisay and Lapu-Lapu City.
In all the grand rallies, Coco Martin was joined by OPM artists Smugglaz, Bassilyo, and Sisa on-stage and performed various song numbers for the crowd, including the nationalistic AP Partylist anthem, “Ako’y Pilipino” that sings of the Filipinos’ hardwork, resilience, and perseverance. “Dito na tayo sa biyaheng aasenso ang lahat ng Pilipino. AP Partylist #AkoyPilipino, number 164 sabalota,” Coco Martin called on the audience.
It was indeed a heartwarming day for everyone as Coco Martin and AP Partylist were warmly welcomed by the Cebuanos.