CEBU CITY—A bakeshop here has launched an advocacy campaign that seeks to encourage the public to get more involved in the upcoming elections.
Launched on Saturday, March 12, the “San Jose Bakeshop Halalan 2022: Cast Your Vote, Every Bread Counts” will also allow voters to show support for their preferred presidential and vice presidential candidates.
The campaign will run some sort of a mock election but Nini Jose “Jojo” Tiongko Jr., president of San Jose Bakeshop, said the objective of the undertaking also includes introducing the candidates to the public.
“There is a need to let the people know that these are our upcoming leaders. Some people still don’t know who the candidates are and that’s to strengthen our objective for this advocacy campaign,” said Tiongko.
For the campaign, which will run from March 14 to May 7, the company will be selling sliced bread with the faces of the presidential and vice presidential candidates printed on its packaging.
The bakeshop will be selling five limited editions of “Halalan 2022 Bisdak Loaves" for the tandems of Sen. Manny Pacquiao and Lito Atienza, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and Dr. Willy Ong, Sen. Ping Lacson and Sen. Tito Sotto and Vice President Leni Robredo and Sen. Kiko Pangilinan.
Priced at P40, each pack of sliced bread will have two chips that a buyer will drop in the ballot boxes for their preferred presidential and vice presidential candidates.
A ballot box for the “undecided” will also be available in every branch of the bakeshop.
Tiongko said that due to budget constraints, the “Bisdak Loaves” will not have all the presidential and vice presidential candidates.
Branch supervisor will tally the votes on a daily basis with a cut-off every 10 a.m., Tiongko said.
The advocacy campaign is open to walk-in, bulk and delivery customers.
While one customer may drop multiple voting ballots for one presidential and vice-presidential, Tiongko discouraged such practice to make the tally more realistic.
“The goal really is to give costumers the chance to know the reality,” Tiongko said.
Tiongko also assured that bakeshop personnel are non-partisan as he ensured the integrity of the campaign.
“We will try to be as accurate as possible,” Tiongko said.
The bakeshop has 32 branches in Cebu and sells 2,000 to 3,000 packs of sliced breads a day.
Tiongko said the advocacy was inspired by a similar undertaking in 2016 in which customers were encouraged to buy certain breads based on their preferred presidential candidates.
“I had a lot of learning at that time,” Tiongko said.
Tiongko said President Rodrigo Duterte ended up winning in the bakeshop’s own survey in 2016.