Manila mayoralty candidate Isko Moreno on Saturday thanked the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) for supporting his candidacy, saying that the endorsement of the influential church together with the support of barangay captains would tip the balance in his favor on election day.
“Malinaw na maraming Manileño gusto ng pagbabago. Nakikita ito sa mga survey, nakikita ito sa pagsalubong sa amin sa kampanya,” said the former vice mayor. (It is clear that many Manila residents want change. That is apparent in surveys, that is apparent in the reception we have gotten during the campaign.)
“Ang importante ngayon, wag maging kampante ang mga tagasuporta namin. (The important thing is not to be complacent.) We have to continue to work hard as our opponent is the incumbent, and he still has the resources of City Hall behind him,” stressed Moreno.
“Hangga’t di nabibilang ang huling balota, hindi kami pwede magpahinga.” (Until the last ballot is counted, we cannot rest.)
Recent polls have shown that Moreno is the only challenger with better numbers than the incumbent among mayoralty races in Metro Manila.
Moreno revealed that in recent weeks, barangay captains from all over Manila had decided to support his candidacy after they learned that he had a concrete plan to reverse the deterioration of Manila.
“Nakikita naman nila na naiiwan na kami ng ibang lungsod sa NCR. (They can see that we have been left behind by other cities in NCR.) They know we need new blood, a fresh perspective, and a dynamic approach. Yan ang handog natin. (That is what we offer.)”
Moreno touted his 10-year infrastructure plan that would atrract jobs to the city, as well as improved healthcare and tourism initiatives.
These include building a new city hall at the Liwasang Bonifacio and the conversion of the current historic city into a museum, cultural and retail center.
Also among the proposed projects is an elevated walkway similar to the OCBC Skyway of Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay called the “Manila Skydeck” along Roxas Boulevard, and a proposed “City Walk,” an urban concrete overpass exclusively for pedestrians and bikers along Ermita, Manila.