STOP MIGRATION TO METRO MANILA BY DEVELOPING PROVINCES-GIBO
SILANG, Cavite—Pushing for development in the countryside and tapping their economic potential is the key to plugging the movement of people from the provinces to Metro Manila and greater Manila areas like Cavite, said Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer Gibo Teodoro in an evening political rally here over the weekend.
“Nagiging problema ang pagdagsa ng tao sa Kamaynilaan at sa Cavite dahil sa nakakakita sila ng mga oportunidad dito [The migration of people to Manila and Cavite to look for opportunities is starting to become a problem],” said the former defense secretary. “Paano solusyonan ito? Hindi dito sa Maynila o Cavite, kungdi kung saan sila nanggagaling. [Where do we find the solution for this? Not in Manila or Cavite, but in the provinces from where they came from].”
The Harvard-trained lawyer and bar topnotcher said the migration of people from the provinces to Metro Manila and greater Manila areas like Cavite, has been a major challenge when it comes to urbanization and development.
“Pag di natin sila binigyan ng oportunidad sa kanilang probinsya, dadagsa sila dito at masasakal tayo sa dami ng tao. [If we don’t give them opportunities in provinces, throngs of them will come here, and Cavite and Metro Manila will be congested with too much people],” he said. “Pag ganu’n, ang pondo na dapat gamitin ng mayor para sa pag-seserbisyo sa tao mahahati lalo para sa mga taong galing sa ibang lugar [If that happens, the funds allocated for services will be divided further for the people coming from other provinces].”
Gibo urged the build-up of home-grown opportunities in the provinces, from eco-tourism to agriculture. By tapping the economic potential of the provinces, opportunities will be created, and country folk will no longer find the need to try their luck in the cities, said the ruling party presidential bet.
Gibo spoke on a makeshift stage, before a throng of people who crammed the “lucky” compound of Silang Mayor Areng Poblete. The queue of Caviteños waiting to get a glimpse of Gibo, and hoping to meet him, overflowed from the compound into the streets.
Earlier in the day, tens of thousands of Caviteños poured into the streets from all over Cavite, and later converged at a giant proclamation rally held under a fierce noonday sun at the General Trias Convention Center. Unmindful of the wilting heat, the crowd showed their overwhelming support for Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard bearer Gibo Teodoro.
Mirroring Friday’s astonishing Mandaluyong salvo, which drew over 30,000 people, the massive assembly of people at the General Trias Center raised their arms, waved green flags, and screamed their support for the former defense secretary.
The night before, some 30,000 people jammed the streets of Mandaluyong City in support for Gibo’s candidacy.
The huge throng of humanity snaked though this metropolitan city, tagged by international investors as a “Tiger City” for its vibrant infrastructure and pro-investment climate, most of them coming from the city’s teeming tenement areas and posh villages that have existed side-by-side with each other for decades.
“This is why I don’t believe surveys”, thundered the former defense secretary, as he basked in the glow of support of supporters who took to major routes like Nuebe de Pebrero, Shaw Boulevard and Martinez Highway, to surround the wooden stage built for the night’s rally.
Unfazed by the surging, green-clad crowd, residents from 26 out of 27 barangays of this city with over 200,000 voters repeatedly chanted “Dapat Gibo!” while holding out Gibo banners and waving green flags.
Gibo’s reception in Cavite the following day was just just as overwhelming. “Kahit na alam kong madaming pupunta para makita at madinig si Gibo, pinili ko pa ding dito maganap ang rally at hindi sa plaza kasi swerte ang lugar na ito [Even though I know people will come here in throngs just for Gibo, I still chose this place to hold the rally instead of the plaza, because I believe there’s luck here],” said Mayor Poblete.
“Iba-ibang presidente na ang pumunta para mag-rally dito at nananalo sila. Tulad ni FVR na dati’y pang-apat lang sa surveys, pumunta siya dito ilang linggo bago ang eleksyon at siya ay nanalo. [Different presidents already came here and won, like FVR who was just fourth in surveys. He came here just a few weeks before the elections, and he won],” Poblete revealed
“Tulad ng pagkakapanalo namin kay FVR dito sa Silang, papapanalunin din namin si Gibo dito sa Silang (Just like when we helped FVR win here in Silang, we will help Gibo win),” Poblete declared. He said Silang has more than 100,000 registered voters, and 58 out of 64 barangays support Gibo.
“Pati na din ang dalawa pa sa malalaking bayan ng Cavite, tulad ng Dasmarinas at Bacoor, sumusuporta kay Gibo kaya confident na talaga kami sa pagka-panalo niya,” (The two towns of Dasmarinas and Bacoor are also for Gibo, which is why we are confident of his victory),” said Poblete. “Lahat kami naniniwala na nasa kanya ang pag-asa ng Pilipinas( We all believe that the country’s hope rests on Gibo).”
General Trias Mayor Jon-jon Ferrer had agreed with this assessment of Gibo’s character and qualifications. “[The people here] are pro-Gibo because he has the best qualities of the other presidentiables: he is incorruptible and he’s hardworking, yet he keeps a low profile,” he told reporters during the General Trias rally.
“Most of all, the people believe that he can unite the country, and the clashing politicians,” Ferrer said. “Gibo represents the new face of politics, the politics of performance; politics which focuses on important issues concerning the country.”
Ferrer expressed confidence that the Harvard graduate and 1989 bar topnotcher will win in his 110,000 vote-rich municipality, saying that the huge turn out of people from all 33 barangays in General Trias is already an indication of Gibo’s victory here.
The outpouring of support during the rally in General Trias equalled the warm reception given to Gibo by Caviteños when the former defense secretary combed the streets of reclamation areas in Silang and Dasmariñas, pressing the flesh and waving to green-clad supporters that lined the streets..
Thousands of locals took to the streets, most were running after the vehicle carrying the presidential bet to get a glimpse of him, and to scream their support for him. The astonishing response from the Caviteños prompted Gibo to get off his vehicle to personally meet as as many residents as he could.
“Karangalan para sa akin ang makilala ang mga tao ng Cavite [It’s an honor to meet the people of Cavite],” he said. “Susuklian ko ito ng magagandang proyekto at tapat na serbisyo.”
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