CAGAYAN, Philippines (Updated 11:27 a.m., March 13) — In her first foray as presidential candidate into the bailiwick of her political archrival, Vice President Leni Robredo repeatedly harped on her track record of helping people in the so-called “Solid North.”
“Noong nakaupo na po akong vice president, kahit po talong-talo ako dito sa inyo, bawat sakuna, isa ako sa mga pinakaunang andito,” Robredo told hundreds of supporters at a mini-rally in Tuguegarao City.
(When I was elected vice president, even if I suffered a massive defeat here, I was among the first to be here in every disaster.)
Roredo only got over 50,000 votes in Cagayan in the 2016 vice-presidential race, which pales in comparison to the over 370,000 votes handily clinched by her closest opponent for the post, former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
But despite this, Robredo and her office have always responded whenever calamities hit Cagayan, like Typhoon Ulysses that caused widespread flooding in the province or the COVID-19 pandemic that led to shortages in personal protective equipment for frontline health workers.
“Hindi lang po na pumunta ako, hindi lang ako nagpakita, pero lagi po kami nag-iiwan ng team dito para gumawa ng relief operations, lahat pong bagyong dumaan mula 2016 hanggang 2021,” she said.
(I just didn't go here, I just didn't make an appearance, but I always left a team here for relief operations in all the typhoons that hit from 2016 until 2021.)
She added, “Noong panahon din po ng pandemya, iyong nagkakaubusan ng mga PPE sets saka mga medical supplies, very regularly nagpapadala po kami ng mga supplies sa mga ospital saka sa mga RHU (regional health units) dito sa Cagayan.”
(During the pandemic, when PPE sets and medical supplies were running low, we regularly sent supplies to hospitals and RHUs here in Cagayan.)
This, she said, is proof that she has — and will continue to — serve people regardless of their political color.
The north remembers
These acts were also recalled by Tuguegarao City Councillor Marj Martin-Chan in her rousing introduction of Robredo at the mini-rally.
She remembered how during the onslaught of Ulysses, Robredo was responding to tweets from Tuguegarao residents appealing for help in the middle of the night.
“Natutulog silang lahat, pero siya sumasagot pa ng tweet ng mga Tuguegarueño,” Martin-Chan said.
(They were all asleep, but she was responding to tweets of Tuguegarueños.)
Alcala Mayor Tin Antonio also recalled how Robredo and her office reached the Cagayan town even if it was mostly inundated after Ulysses and how they sent 500 sacks of rice after its onslaught.
“Talagang inalalayan kami sa pinakamahirap na bahagi noong challenge na iyon. Iyon ang hindi namin nakakalimutan dito sa Alcala. Alcala remembers. The north remembers,” Antonio said in an interview at the sidelines of Robredo’s campaign stop in the town.
(We were assisted during the most difficult part of that challenge. That is what we would never forget here in Alcala. Alacala remembers. The north remembers.)
Odds stacked
Robredo has odds stacked against her here in the Solid North, where many local officials and dynasties have thrown their support for her archrival Marcos.
But this has not deterred her ardent supporters from embarking on what they admitted to be a “difficult” campaign.
“It is very challenging, admittedly. Ang nilalabanan namin dito ay iyong fake news at disinformation at iyong matagal nang nakasanayan na nakaugalian na kapag kapitbahay galing sa norte,” Alcala said.
(It is very challenging, admittedly. What we are fighting against here is fake news and disinformation and the long tradition of voting for neighbors in the north.)
Robredo’s supporters here are largely taking the same tactic as hers — highlighting her accomplishments as vice president in the hopes of breaking the Solid North.
“We are touting all the achievements of VP Leni because these would help us amass votes in the north,” 21-year-old student Dean Carlo Revita told Philstar.com in Filipino.
During a rally in Echague town in Isabela, Robredo expressed how surprised she was at the turnout when she was worried that hardly anyone would show up.
Authorities said there were at least 10,000 people there — significantly smaller compared to the massive crowds she drew in previous rallies, but a strong signal that the Solid North is cracking.
"Sa dami po natin ngayon dito sa norte, ang imposible, pwede maging posible," Robredo said.
(With our numbers here in the north, the impossible can become possible.)
Disclosure: This story was made possible through the support of Vice President Leni Robredo's campaign, which arranged transportation and accommodations for the Philstar.com reporting team. This article was produced following editorial guidelines and the Robredo campaign did not have input on how the story would be written.