In Kalinga, Robredo makes last push for votes: ‘You will be proud again to be Filipinos’ (Sabong News)

BAGUIO CITY—Aside from winning the presidency on May 9, Vice President Leni Robredo has one other goal: to make Filipinos proud to be one again. In her foray into the so-called “Solid North” on Monday, May 2, Robredo spoke before a gathering of volunteers at the Pastoral Center in Tabuk City, where she thanked volunteers and supporters and asked for one last push, not for herself, but for the nation. “Kaya ito, pag sinasabi kong ipanalo na natin ito, hindi ko gustong sabihin, ‘ipanalo niyo ako,’ pero ang gusto kong sabihin, ipanalo na natin ang ating bansa (So this, when I say let’s win this, I don’t mean, ‘make me win,’ but what I mean is, let’s make our country win),” she said. “Ako, kahit maging Pangulo ako (Me, even if I become president), I cannot promise you that all our problems will disappear when I’m President. Pero ang mapa-promise ko sa inyo na (But what I can promise you) after six years, you will again be proud to be Filipinos,” the Vice President added. The presidential aspirant reflected on her experiences in the campaign and what she witnessed first-hand in her rallies. She praised the spirit of “bayanihan (community spirit),” mentioning how her supporters spend money, time, and effort in her rallies and how they bring food to share with each other. “Nakikita natin, nagshe-share ng tubig, nagshe-share ng pagkain, nagtutulungan. ‘Yung mga tao, nag-attend na ng rallies, ang tagal na nilang nakatayo, nainitan na sila, paminsan nauulanan, pero umuuwi silang masaya dahil naramdaman nila (We see them sharing water, sharing food, helping. The people attend the rallies, they’ve been standing for a long time, they’re under the heat, sometimes they’re rained on, but they go home happy because they can feel) what it means to be Filipinos once again,” Robredo said. This, she added, is what she envisioned to be if she becomes President. Her campaign sorties in the “Solid North,” known bailiwicks of survey frontrunner and main rival former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., brought out the best in Cordilleran culture, tradition, and talent. The Vice President barnstormed Kalinga, Abra, and Baguio City. Her first stop was in Tabuk City in Kalinga, a part of the Cordillera region, before she traveled to Abra and Baguio City for her “Takder Kordi People’s Rally” at the Melvin Jones Grandstand in Baguio City. The tribesmen butchered a wild boar as early as 5:30 a.m. as a sacrifice to their god “Kabunyan” to ward off bad spirits and to request for blessings. In the Cordilleras, it is important to gain the “endorsement” of the tribal elders. Igorot is the mainstream and known collective term for the tribes in the Cordilleras.