Presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo believes the May 2022 elections will be a defining moment for the country’s youth sector as it comprises about 52 percent of the total voting population that could dictate the outcome of the presidential polls.

Lately, Robredo mentioned that most of her campaign rallies were attended by young people.

“Pag tiningnan po natin 'yung kasaysayan sa buong mundo, halos lahat ng pagbabago nag-uumpisa sa mga kabataan (When we look at the history of the world, almost all change starts with the youth),” she told the crowd on Tuesday, March 8, at the Bislig City Cultural and Sports Center in Surigao del Sur.

“Kaya sana po hindi nyo maramdaman na hindi nyo pa panahon ngayon, ang panahon nyo sa susunod pa. Hindi po 'yun totoo. Ang panahon nyo ngayon na (That’s why hopefully, you don’t feel that this is not your time yet, and that your time is just coming. That is not true. Your time is now),” she added.

With 63 days left before the May polls, the Vice President asked the young supporters in the audience if they can be as passionate to campaign for her until the end.

Robredo also told them not to make the “mistake” of voting for the wrong candidates because this is more than just about the personalities running for the country’s highest position.

“Pero 'yung bobotohan po natin, anong klaseng gobyerno 'yung mamumuno sa atin (But our vote will dictate the kind of government that will lead us) in the next six years,” she said.

She kicked off this week’s campaign sorties in the Caraga Administrative Region to meet with local officials, sectoral leaders, and volunteers.

After her campaign rally in Bislig, Robredo attended a concelebrated mass at the San Nicolas de Tolentino New Cathedral. Later in the day, she will be at the multisectoral assembly in Tandag City to meet representatives from different sectors there.

As the lone female presidential bet, she will commemorate this year’s National Women's Month with a Women's Summit at the Surigao del Norte Provincial Convention Center, where she will deliver a keynote speech.

To cap off her day, Robredo will join a caravan from Surigao del Norte Provincial Gym to Tavern Hotel Compound in Surigao City, where a people’s rally will be held. She will also meet with Bishop Antonieto Cabajog at the Bishop’s Residence in Surigao City.

This is not the first time the Vice President visited the province. She was also one of the first visitors after the onslaught of Typhoon Odette in December 2021.

Robredo said she had to turnover relief goods to the Surigao City government.

At that time, because of limited manpower and resources, the lady official had to tap her network of volunteers in the province.

“Oo nga, ano talaga (Yes, it’s really), very active 'yung (our) volunteers natin diyan (there). In fact, during the relief operations ng (of) Typhoon Odette, sila din 'yung tumulong nang tumulong sa atin (they were the ones who helped us),” she said of her volunteers.

Aside from relief operations after the typhoon, the Vice President’s Angat Buhay projects also had 43 projects, amounting to P11 million, in the province.

Robredo shared that she will visit Barangy Danawan in Surigao City to check on a project she spearheaded there under the sustainable livelihood and training program for the fisherfolk.

During the height of the pandemic, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) also provided personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical supplies to medical institutions in Burgos, Dapa, Del Carmen, Gigaquit, Pilar, Placer, San Francisco, Socorro, and Santa Monica.

Under Robredo’s term, the OVP has implemented 107 projects in Caraga between 2016 and 2022, amounting to more than P20 million.