Presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo vowed to find solutions to Siquijor’s power supply and internet connection issues to improve the living condition of residents in the country’s third smallest province.
Speaking to the throng of supporters in her campaign sortie on Wednesday, April 20, Robredo said she would would improve internet connection and electricity in Siquijor once she is elected president.
“ito sa Siquijor, alam po natin na meron tayong mga kahirapan na pinagdadaanan... ‘Yung amin pong pangako ay tututukan natin ‘yun dahil ‘yung progress mangyayari lamang pag maayos ang ating kuryente, maayos ang ating internet connection (Here in Siquijor, we know we are going through hardships...Our promise is focus on that because progress will only happen if the electricity and internet connection are fixed),” she told her supporters gathered at the Capital Square in Siquijor.
Most areas in the island province, which the Vice President last visited in 2019, had been suffering from unstable power supply.
Robredo shared that she told Siquijor Governor Zaldy Villa that should she win the presidency, her administration would attend to the development of the international port to bring investments and employments to Siquijor.
“Pag binuhusan po ng pera ng national government ang isang lugar gaya ng (If the national government pours funds into a place like) Siquijor, ang pinakapangako nito, trabaho, mas magandang buhay para sa lahat (its main promise is jobs, better lives for everyone),” Robredo said.
Siquijor Mayor Richard Quezon, who joined Robredo on stage during the event, together with Vice Mayor Teodoro Jumawan, Jr. and the town’s local officials, is confident Robredo will make a repeat of her landslide victory in his town in the 2016 vice-presidential race.
““Kung tatanungin lang ako (If you’re going to ask me), when you talk about intelligent voting, kung ikukumpara mong lahat, talagang si Leni ang (if you’ll compare all of them, Leni is really) the best.”
Quezon emphasized Robredo’s track record of helping the poor, advocating women’s rights, and serving as a volunteer lawyer for marginalized people
“Talking of public service, I know the record of Leni kaya sabi ko nga, kahit matalo si Leni (that’s why I said, even Leni lose), win or lose, Leni ako (I’ll go for Leni),” Quezon said.
Robredo and running mate Sen. Kiko Pangilinan toured Central Visayas on Wednesday with grand rallies in Negros Oriental and nearby Siquijor, known as the Mystic Island of Central Visayas
The lone female presidential candidate was the first among the prexy bets to visit Siquijor since the campaign period began on Feb. 8.
Siquijor, the smallest province in the Central Visayas region, only has a voting population of about 65,000 in the May 9 polls. Its capital, the Municipality of Siquijor, has around 22,000.
“Alam ko po ang Siquijor hindi parating binibisita, ‘di ba? Bakit kaya hindi parating binibisita ang Siquijor ng mga politikong nasyonal kahit pa napakaganda ng lugar ninyo? Bihirang mabisita dahil konti ang botante dito. At ‘yun ‘yung diperensya ng ating pulitika (I know Siquijor is not frequently visited, right? Why the national politicians don’t always visit Siquijor when your place is very beautiful. It’s seldom visited because there are few voters here. And that’s the difference of our politics),” Robredo said in the “SiquiRose” People’s Rally in Larena on the same day.
“Kami po sa (We are at) Office of the Vice President, mas malayo, mas maliit, mas mahirap puntahan, mas lalo kaming nandiyan. Saan mang sulok ng Pilipinas, lahat na sakuna halos lagi kami 'yung nauunang pumunta (the farther, the smaller, the harder is the place to reach, the more we go there. Anywhere in the Philippines, in all the disasters, we are always first to come),” added.