By Marita Moaje | Philippine News Agency
MANILA – Aksyon Demokratiko presidential bet Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso is wooing Visayas voters with a vow to bring development with his own “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program.
On the second day of his Samar visit on Tuesday, Feb. 15, with his running mate, Dr. Willie Ong, and their senatorial candidates, they visited Northern Samar, including the municipality of Allen, the hometown of Domagoso’s late mother, Rosario.
Domagoso said despite being born and raised in Tondo, Manila, he is pure Visayan as his late father, Joaquin, is from Antique province.
“Bakit napag-iwanan? Ang Samar isa sa pinakamahirap na bayan na probinsya dahil sa, again and again, basta ako straightforward facts lang, 21 years binigyan natin ng pagkakataon ‘yung pula, good for them, nakaraan na ‘yon. Eighteen years, binigyan natin ng pagkakataon mga dilaw, okay na ‘yun, nagdaan na yun. Twenty-one plus 18, bale 39 years, kumusta naman kayo? ‘Yan ang sagutin ninyo. Kaya kung gusto niyo ma-iba naman, kami nina Doc Willie, ni Samira Gutoc, ni Carl Balita, ni Jopet Sison nag-a-apply ng trabaho, pagbubutihan po namin, ma-iba naman (Why were you left behind? Samar is one of the poorest provinces because again, these are straightforward facts, for 21 years, we have given the reds their chances. For 18 years we have given the yellows their chances, these are okay, it’s all in the past. For a total of 38 years, how are you? You can answer that. So if you want change, Doc Willie and I, together with Samira Gutoc, Carl Balita, Jopet Sison, we are applying for work. We will work hard),” he said in his speech.
Domagoso was referring to the political colors associated with the Marcos and Aquino families.
On Monday (Feb. 14), the Aksyon team arrived in Calbayog and went around Eastern Samar, ending the day in Catbalogan.
“Alam mo ang Samar, correct me if I’m wrong, for the past 60 years, walang na-elect dito na national official. I mean in a national level, walang senador ‘to, walang vice president ‘to, wala pa kayong presidente, 60 years mahigit. I think the last time was in the 1950s. My point, baka napapanahon naman na, itong Waray-Waray nating mga kababayan, kahit anong kulay ng partido nila sa lokal, baka naman pwede nyong pagkaisahan? ‘Yung anak ng Waray, di ba (Correct me if I’m wrong but Samar, for the past 60 years, has not produced a national official, senator, vice president, or president. I think the last time was in the 1950’s. Maybe it’s high time, I ask my Waray Waray townsmen. Why not the son of a Waray)?” Domagoso said.
If elected, Domagoso vowed to address poverty, hunger, unemployment, inequality, and social injustice.
As he has done in Manila, he said he will focus on providing the minimum basic needs like housing, education, health care, and jobs by efficiently and prudently managing the government’s resources.
He said these form the main pillars of his 10-Point Bilis Kilos (Quick Action) Economic Agenda.
Domagoso said he has promised to replicate the projects that he has done in Manila to the rest of the country, like the distribution of assistance.
Samar is the third largest and seventh most populous island in the Philippines, based on the 2020 census of 1,909,537.
It is also vulnerable to typhoons and was hardest hit by Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, particularly Leyte and Samar provinces. (PNA) – bny
