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‘Babawi kami’: Nueva Ecija turns pink for Robredo

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Wena Cos, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Organizers estimate about 50,000 in attendance at the Nueva Ecija people’s rally entitled “ANEhan”. VP Leni media handout" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/03/22/20220322-leni2.jpg"/><figcaption>Organizers estimate about 50,000 in attendance at the Nueva Ecija people’s rally entitled “ANEhan”. <em>VP Leni media handout</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>CABANATUAN CITY - The Nueva Ecija National High School grounds on Tuesday glittered with lights, as thousands of supporters shouted their support for Vice President Leni Robredo.</p><p>“Babawi kami (We’ll make up for it),” they chanted when Robredo shared with them her doubts about filling the venue.</p><p>“Sabi ko, ‘Ang laki naman n’yan, baka aalog-alog tayo d’yan’,” Robredo told the crowd. (The venue looks too big. We might not be able to fill it.)</p><p>But Novo Ecijanos delivered, with organizers estimating up to 50,000 in attendance.</p><p>Robredo in 2016 lost in Nueva Ecija, getting only 22 percent of the province’s over 970,000 votes, according to data gathered by the ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group.</p><p>She got only 216,204 votes to her rival former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s 541,980 votes.</p><p>Supporters trooped to the venue several hours before the gates even opened, spilling into the Freedom Park in front.</p><p>“Kabado akong bumalik dito, kasi baka kapareho rin ng 2016,” Robredo said. (I was anxious about going back, fearing a repeat of 2016.)</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Robredo is welcomed by the crowd after hours under the blistering sun. Robredo was set to arrive at 6 p.m., but supporters gathered in the venue hours earlier. (VP Leni media handout)" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/03/22/20220322-leni1.jpg"/><figcaption>Robredo is welcomed by the crowd after hours under the blistering sun. Robredo was set to arrive at 6 p.m., but supporters gathered in the venue hours earlier. <em>VP Leni media handout</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>But despite losing in the province, Robredo made her presence felt in Nueva Ecija in her six years as Vice President through various projects and programs, especially for farmers.</p><p>“Kaming mga lingkod bayan, tinulungan man kami o hindi, mandato naming tulungan ang lahat,” Robredo said.</p><p>In earlier stops, Robredo laid out to locals how she plans to continue helping the largest producer of rice in Central Luzon.</p><p>“We have been calling government to review [the Rice Tarrification Law], suspend, tapos i-review,” Robredo said.</p><p>She said that the law serves the opposite of its intent to increase competition among rice producers, because local farmers cannot keep up with competitive prices.</p><p>“Hindi naging level &#x27;yung playing field. &#x27;Yung mga farmers natin, hindi sila makapag-compete dahil &#x27;yung cost of production natin, napaka-taas,” she said.</p><p>“Hindi puwedeng ganito &#x27;yung policy ng gobyerno kung hindi muna natin ihanda &#x27;yung mga magsasaka natin.”</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Vanessa holds up her placard proudly declaring she is the daughter of a farmer. Wena Cos, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/03/22/20220322-anak.jpg"/><figcaption>Vanessa holds up her placard proudly declaring she is the daughter of a farmer. <em>Wena Cos, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Vanessa, a 24-year old supporter, held up a placard which read: “Mga anak ng mga magsasakang naghihirap dahil sa rice tarrification law for Leni.”</p><p>Her 54-year old father did not join her in the rally, because he has yet to decide who to vote.</p><p>Vanessa said her father seemed to be leaning toward Robredo’s rival, from his experiences with Marcos Sr.’s programs for farmers.</p><p>“Ine-explain ko sa kanya na hindi porke’t anak ganu’n [din s’ya]. Pinapaliwanag ko ang track record ni Leni,” Vanessa said.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Supporters wait under the ehat of the sun in the open-air venue. Wena Cos, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/03/22/20220322-adhikain.jpg"/><figcaption>Supporters wait under the ehat of the sun in the open-air venue. <em>Wena Cos, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Meanwhile, Robredo said local production of fertilizer should be pursued by the government.</p><p>The country should also import only as much as it needs, she added, while rural infrastructure development should be prioritized, including infrastructure requirements.</p><p>Crops planted should match the demands of institutional buyers, Robredo went on.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Supporters come with creative props which show the province’s main source of income: agriculture. Wena Cos, ABS-CBN News." src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/03/22/20220322-scarecrows.jpg"/><figcaption>Supporters come with creative props which show the province’s main source of income: agriculture. <em>Wena Cos, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Senator Risa Hontiveros reiterated her plans to double the budget for agriculture.</p><p>The recommended budget for the Department of Agriculture in 2022 was P95 billion, but the agency requested an additional P12 billion to address challenges in production and distribution.</p><p>Senator Dick Gordon was also at the rally, as well as Rep. Teddy Baguilat, and Atty. Chel Diokno.</p><p>Robredo also met with female mushroom farmers in San Antonio, after she met with supporters in San Jose City, Talavera, and Alyaga.</p><p>She and her team also went to San Leonardo before heading to Cabanatuan for the people’s rally where regular guests warmed up the already hot crowd.</p><p>Nikki Valdez, Jolina Magdangal, and Rivermaya performed, while OPM band Bloomfields sang a version of their song “Ale,” changing the lyrics to “Leni, nasa langit na ba ako?”</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Supporters come with creative props which show the province’s main source of income: agriculture. Wena Cos, ABS-CBN News." src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/03/22/20220322-scarecrows1.jpg"/><figcaption>Supporters come with creative props which show the province’s main source of income: agriculture. <em>Wena Cos, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>OPM folk-pop band Ben&amp;Ben made their second guest appearance at the Nueva Ecija rally, capping the night off as they did in the massively successful Pasig rally on Sunday.</p><p>Robredo took pictures and interacted with the crowd while the 9-piece band sang hit songs such as “Maybe the Night” and “Kathang Isip”.</p><p>She is set to visit Tarlac on Wednesday.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1970645" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

Robredo in 2016 lost in Nueva Ecija, getting only 22 percent of the province’s over 970,000 votes, according to data gathered by ABS-CBN Research.

‘Babawi kami’: Nueva Ecija turns pink for Robredo

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‘Babawi kami’: Nueva Ecija turns pink for Robredo

Wena Cos,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 23, 2022 02:37 AM PHT

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Updated March 23, 2022 12:42 PM PHT

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