Pink kites soared through the blue skies of Ormoc as supporters welcomed Vice President Leni Robredo, her running mate Kiko Pangilinan, and their senatorial slate to their People’s Rally organized by volunteers on Tuesday, March 29.
Pineapple dancers and gown-clad queens from the Ormoc Piña Festival also took to the makeshift stage in an abandoned sugarcane field at Juanita Rodriguez Realty, dressing it up in a dazzling display of color. Ormoc is known for producing some of the nation’s sweetest pineapples.
Thousands of people were present at the rally, including hundreds of farmers from Ormoc and neighboring Kananga, beneficiaries of Robredo’s Angat Buhay programs.
“Meron po tayo ditong mga samahan na mga magsasaka, ‘yung Kaisahan Farmers nandito. Ano po ‘yung pangarap natin para sa inyo? Ano po ‘yung problema natin ngayon … Napakataas ng cost of production pero napaka baba ng presyo ng palay,” Robredo said. “Hindi po tayo makapag kompetensya sa mga iniimport kaya ito po ‘yung hahanapan natin ng solusyon na ang priority natin lagi ‘yung ating sariling magsasaka. Dahil sila ‘yung nagbibigay ng pagkain sa atin araw-araw.”
Gilbert Negad, who heads the Kaisahan project and assists farmers from the Ormoc Kananga Leyte Farmers Federation (ORKALEFF) made up of farmers from Ormoc City and three municipalities, said federation members received tractors, rice and vegetable seeds, fertilizers, and farm implements such as a rice thresher and rice mills.
Meawhile, Doroteo Medina, a farmer leader and ORKALEFF chairman, said he knows if Robredo is elected president, farmers will have a voice.
“Gusto namin si Robredo ang magiging presidente para matulungan niya ang mga farmers para ang kinabukasan ng aming mga anak ay magiging masaya,” Medina said.
In her speech, Robredo also focused on livelihood and jobs, issues she knows are close to the hearts of many Filipinos.
“Ano po ‘yung pangarap natin para sa lahat? Hanapbuhay na magbibigay ng dignidad para sa bawat isa sa atin. Noong pagka-file ko lang po ng aking candidacy, nilatag na po natin ‘yung ‘Hanapbuhay Para Sa Lahat’ program,” Robredo said.
“Ito ‘yung magiging sentro ng programa ng ating pamahalaan sa pag-siguro na bigyang dignidad ang buhay ng bawat Pilipino, pag siguro na may Hanapbuhay na ito ‘yung magiging dahilan ng dignidad ng bawat isa sa atin.”
Robredo assured her supporters that if she is elected president, she will help transform people’s lives.
“Madalas po– madalas sinasabi natin, ‘Ano ba ‘yan, bawat eleksyon na lang umaasa kami, pero hindi naman nagbabago ‘yung buhay namin,’ di ba?” she asked. “Baguhin na po natin ‘yun. Siguraduhin natin na ‘yung pipiliin natin, ang paniniwala niya pareho ng paniniwala natin na ‘yung gobyernong tapat, siya lang ‘yung magiging daan para magkaroon ng magandang pagbabago para sa bansa natin.” (VP Leni Media Bureau)
