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At campaign, Robredo touts volunteerism based on trust

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Wena Cos, ABS-CBN News

<p>TARLAC CITY - Charmaine, 29 years old, made the trip from Tondo, Manila, to Capas, Tarlac in time for Vice President Leni Robredo’s first stop in her tour of the province on Wednesday.</p><p>Charmaine also spends time at Robredo’s volunteer center in Katipunan, where she is able to see and observe Robredo more closely.</p><p>Through these small encounters, Charmaine found assurance in Robredo.</p><p>“I am a call center agent na naramdaman ang problema within the pandemic, naramdaman kong hindi ako mahalaga sa gobyerno, pero kay Leni Robredo po sobrang halaga ko pala,” Charmaine told ABS-CBN News.</p><p>(As a call center agent I felt how poorly the pandemic was handled, I felt like the government didn’t care for me. But with Leni Robredo I felt I mattered.)</p><p>Charmaine looked to Robredo from beside the stage while the presidential candidate spoke to her supporters.</p><p>In her arms was a paper bag of handmade pink paper flowers which she and her fellow volunteers aim to give to Robredo in the Tarlac City rally later in the day.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Charmaine and the pink handmade paper flowers. Wena Cos, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/03/23/20220323-leni1.jpg"/><figcaption>Charmaine and the pink handmade paper flowers. <em>Wena Cos, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Like Charmaine, 75-year old Gloria Beltran made her way to the Gerona Public Market to get a glimpse of Robredo.</p><p>Standing in front of the crowd, Beltran waited teary-eyed for Robredo’s arrival.</p><p>“Makita ko lang siya, okay na,” she said.</p><p>(I just want to see her.)</p><p>She craned her neck as screams announced Robredo’s arrival. The sight of Robredo brought Beltran to tears.</p><p>Robredo greeted the crowd atop the back of an elf truck, a makeshift stage.</p><p>Robredo told the crowd that while her schedule is tight, she wanted to make sure to see supporters waiting for her in the market.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The moment nanay Gloria saw VP <a href="https://twitter.com/lenirobredo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@lenirobredo</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/ABSCBNNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ABSCBNNews</a> <a href="https://t.co/3SW0Vvnz0T">pic.twitter.com/3SW0Vvnz0T</a></p>— Wena Cos (@wenacos) <a href="https://twitter.com/wenacos/status/1506460958243184644?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2022</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>“Mabait talaga siya, matagal na,” Beltran said of Robredo as she wiped tears.</p><p>(She has always been kind.)</p><p>Beltran also voted for Robredo in 2016, where she won the vice presidency in Tarlac with over 41 percent of the votes, according to data gathered by ABS-CBN investigative and Research Group.</p><p>In less than 30 minutes, Robredo was in a different town, where yet another crowd brandishing placards welcomed her at Moncada.</p><p>Robredo in her visits to province’s makes it a point to make as many stops as her time would allow her.</p><p>In Tarlac she visited Capas, Gerona, Moncada, Santa Ignacia, before the Tarlac City rally.</p><p>Sheila Mae Balagan, 20 years old, held up her placard for Robredo to read at Moncada, “Ang jowa ko ay Bicolano, kaya Bicolano ang presidente ko!”</p><p>A child of overseas Filipino workers, Balagan laughed when asked why she will be voting for Robredo.</p><p>“Tinatanong pa ba ‘yan? Madami na siyang nagawa!” she shouted through the crowd.</p><p>(It’s obvious! She’s done so much!)</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="“Ang jowa ko ay Bicolano, kaya Bicolano ang presidente ko!”" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/03/23/20220323-leni2.jpg"/></figure></div><p>“Pag-uwi dito ng mga magulang ko alam ko na may dadatnan pa rin solang trabaho pag sua ang nanalo,” she added.</p><p>(When my parents come home I know they’ll be able to find jobs easily again if she wins the presidency.)</p><p>All roads led to Tarlac City for Charmaine and Balagan, and about 50,000 other supporters, who filled the Riverview Ninoy Aquino Boulevard for the Tarlac City people’s rally on Wednesday.</p><p>Charmaine found her place beside the stage again as she did in Capas, and Balagan in front of the crowd as she was in Moncada.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">LOOK: Charmaine, the call center agent who traveled from Tondo to Tarlac to follow VP <a href="https://twitter.com/lenirobredo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@lenirobredo</a>’s tour of Tarlac made it to the people’s rally at the Ninoy Aquino Blvd. Riverview with her handmade pink paper flowers. <a href="https://t.co/Xa9NrK7GWK">https://t.co/Xa9NrK7GWK</a> <a href="https://t.co/WnAsWv0V20">pic.twitter.com/WnAsWv0V20</a></p>— Wena Cos (@wenacos) <a href="https://twitter.com/wenacos/status/1506575104586616832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2022</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>In front of Balagan, containing the crowd, was 20-year old Kristian Lagrimas, who had been standing under the Tarlac heat since noon, keeping order among earlybirds.</p><p>He stood hand-in-hand with other volunteers forming a human chain between the path for the production staff and the audience.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="tl">20-year old Christian Lagrimas has been standing under the sun since 12nn to volunteer as crowd control for VP <a href="https://twitter.com/lenirobredo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@lenirobredo</a>’s Tarlac rally on Wednesday.<br/><br/>“Yung pagtitiis kong ilang oras dito ay wala sa anim na taong pagbabagong pwede nyang ibigay.” <a href="https://t.co/AHZvUpO26L">pic.twitter.com/AHZvUpO26L</a></p>— Wena Cos (@wenacos) <a href="https://twitter.com/wenacos/status/1506561930911047683?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2022</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>“‘Yung ilang oras na pagtitiis ko dito para magpakita ng suporta kay VP Leni, ay wala po sa anim na taon na pagbabagong pwede nyang mabigay,” he said.</p><p>(Hours under the sun is nothing to the 6 years of good service she will be able to give us.)</p><p>Down the line, 30-year old Jacob Capulong and other volunteers stood their ground when a sudden downpour drenched their human chain.</p><p>He made the trip from Paniqui and left his restaurant closed to volunteer for Robredo’s event in Tarlac City.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Jacob Capulong volunteers as part of the human chain for crowd control. Wena Cos, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/03/23/20220323-leni3.jpg"/><figcaption>Jacob Capulong volunteers as part of the human chain for crowd control. <em>Wena Cos, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>“Hindi ako manghihinayang na pumunta dito, umulan unaraw, para kay Leni. Sigurado ako na si Leni Robredo ang tunay na kailangan ng Pilipinas,” he said.</p><p>(I don’t regret wasting a day’s profit, even if I get soaked in the rain or stay under the sun. I know for sure Leni Robredo is what the Philippines needs.)</p><p>After hours on their feet, supporters finally saw Robredo after celebrity Kris Aquino’s introduction.</p><p>As Robredo began her speech, Charmaine’s fellow volunteer Irah called her attention and held up the handmade paper flowers, which Robredo gratefully took.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">From Tondo, Manila, to Capas, Tarlac &amp; finally in Tarlac City, with the help of Charmaine’s fellow volunteer Irah, the flowers made it to VP <a href="https://twitter.com/lenirobredo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@lenirobredo</a>.<br/><br/>Their group gives flowers to Robredo in every rally they can attend. They began when Robredo started campaigning in Naga. <a href="https://t.co/Zg2jUChQaK">https://t.co/Zg2jUChQaK</a> <a href="https://t.co/mLoLUF9s3H">pic.twitter.com/mLoLUF9s3H</a></p>— Wena Cos (@wenacos) <a href="https://twitter.com/wenacos/status/1506630119867224077?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2022</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Irah then replaced in her hands a placard which announced her joy over the decicion of the COMELEC en banc to exempt Robredo’s pandemic activities from the election spending ban.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Irah holding her placard in front of the stage. Wena Cos, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/03/23/20220323-leni4.jpg"/><figcaption>Irah holding her placard in front of the stage. <em>Wena Cos, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Robredo, who reads placards in most her rallies when time and the light permits, mentioned Irah’s placard.</p><p>“Kanina may hawak ng placard na parang Bayanihan E-konsukta volunteer siya. Hindi naman po kami magkakilala pero nagvo-volunteer sa aming mga programa para makatulong sa tao,” she said.</p><p>(I saw a placard which I think was held by a volunteer of the Bayanihan E-konsulta. We don’t know each other, but she volunteered to help her fellow Filipinos through the program.)</p><p>“Bakit nagvovolunteer? Dahil sa tiwala, di ba? Bakit ka magpapagod kung wala ka namang tiwala sa pamahalaan,” Robredo added.</p><p>(Why volunteer? Because of trust, right? Why would you spend your time and energy if you don’t trust the government you’re volunteering for?)</p><p>When asked how they feel among their fellow volunteers, the answer was one and the same: “Pag-asa (hope).”</p>

Robredo's volunteers share what keeps them going through the campaign season rendering their time and effort for their presidential bet.

At campaign, Robredo touts volunteerism based on trust

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At campaign, Robredo touts volunteerism based on trust

Wena Cos,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 24, 2022 02:16 AM PHT

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Halalan 2022

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Leni Robredo

Tarlac City

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