The camp of Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso on Wednesday declared that his presidential machinery has shifted into high gear following Tuesday’s release of a “blockbuster” music video highlighting his rise from poverty to being one of the most influential local chief executives in the country.
The music video already garnered a total of 26,000 views on YouTube in the first hour since it was launched at noon of December 28, Moreno’s camp said. The views jumped to 55,000 in three hours, overtaking the 37,000 views of the video “Pag-ibig ang Kulay ng Pasko,” four days after it was posted in YouTube.
By 9 p.m. or 9 hours after its launch, “Nais Ko” had overtaken the 431,000 views of “Sama-Sama Ngayong Pasko” by more than 4,000 views. This is phenomenal considering the SSNP video was posted two days ago or 48 hours earlier than “Nais Ko,” Domagoso added.
Meanwhile, the wife of Mayor Domagoso spearheaded the city government’s relief operations in the province of Antique, whose residents were also severely affected by Typhoon “Odette.”
Diana Lynn Domagoso, along with other volunteers from the relief operations team of the city, handed over relief goods consisting of foods packs and bottled water to affected residents as part of “Operation Tabang” of Team Isko Moreno.
In collaboration with popular Pinoy rappers Smugglaz and Bassilyo, the 4 minutes and 27 seconds long music video titled “Nais Ko” shows the 47-year-old Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer back in Tondo, Manila, where he was born in 1974. Rey E. Requejo
At the start of the music video, a woman smoking cigarette is shown tending to a boiling kettle and cooking tuyo (salted dried fish) and fried rice. Seconds later, Moreno in a white sando is already shown sitting in front of the dining table with rappers Smugglaz and Bassilyo.
The two rappers begin singing their rap song while Moreno was eating fried rice and tuyo. At the 1:45 mark, the 47-year-old presidential aspirant stood up and seen coming out of the makeshift house walking along the middle of a street accompanied by the two male rappers with several men in tow.
While walking, Moreno was shown reaching out for his favorite blue long sleeves polo from a foldable clothes drying rack, which he then wore.
In the music video, one can hear Moreno’s voice saying the words “Posible,” “Pwede,” “Kaya,” and “Naman!” which he has been using as catch phrases when talking to people, especially those coming from the lower strata of society. At the 2:23 mark of the music video, Moreno was seen fist-bumping an old man who was having a conversation with another neighbor. Seconds later he was seen accepting from a neighbor a plastic cup containing fish balls which he ate with gusto using a stick.
Near the three-minute mark, Moreno is already on board a sidecar drinking soft drink in a plastic container with straw.
Different faces of Manila City residents were also shown in the music video while Moreno was seen pointing his finger towards the camera.
Near the end of the music video, Moreno is already singing with the rappers and again uttering the words “Posible,” “Pwede,” “Kaya,” and “Naman!” and then posing with them.
Shot for six hours in Brgy. 97, Varona Street in Tondo, Manila, the music video intends to show that the people are behind Moreno supporting him all the way.
The music video also intends to show the Manila mayor’s relatability and connection to ordinary people.
The song’s message reveals the real struggles of Filipinos directly experienced and understood by Moreno in his youth.
Both Smugglaz and Bassilyo collaborated with Moreno with a similar music video for the latter’s mayoralty run in 2019. Incidentally, Smugglaz is also from Tondo and is a god son of the future mayor of Manila.
Moreno was born to poverty in the slums of Tondo where, early in life, he scoured the city restaurants to collect discarded food to help feed his family. He also collected and sold old newspapers and used bottles to augment his parents’ meager income.
With determination and diligence, he finished high school and, by a stroke of luck, entered showbiz at the age of 19. But his real aspiration is to serve the people.
Thus, at age 23, he entered politics and was elected Manila councilor, a position he would keep for three consecutive terms, and later on elected vice mayor, again, for three terms.
In 2019, Moreno became Manila mayor in a classic “David vs. Goliath,” having defeated former mayor Alfredo Lim, and incumbent mayor Joseph Estrada.
Moreno immediately buckled down to work and accomplished what no other local chief executive have done before in the city of Manila.
Mayor Isko cleaned up and brought order to the chaotic environs of Divisoria and Quiapo in a matter of days and the rest is history.
“I may not give you a perfect government, but together, we can make it better,” Moreno, the Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer, vowed.
Mrs. Domagoso went to the affected areas to personally hand over to residents the relief aid from the City of Manila bringing smiles to the faces of the poor people who showed up for the much-needed plastic bags of goodies.
The mayor’s wife previously visited Loboc, Bohol, and handed over mattresses and relief goods to dozens of families who were left homeless following the onslaught of Odette.
Speaking to residents temporarily taking shelter at an evacuation center in Barangay Valladolid after their houses were swept by heavy flooding, Domagoso urged Loboc residents not to give up and continue on with their lives despite being heavily affected by the typhoon.
Domagoso added that despite the tragedy that befell them, hope is still in the horizon as there are many people who are ready to help and provide them with assistance.
While Mrs. Domagoso was doing relief operations in Antique, similar “Operation Tabang” was being conducted by Team Isko Moreno in Kabankalan City and the municipality of Hinoba-an in Negros Occidental.
Thousands of Negrenses in the southern part of the province were affected by the strongest typhoon to hit the country this year due to flooding, damaged houses, and fallen trees. Dozens of people also lost their lives following the onslaught of Odette, according to disaster officials in Negros Occidental.
Alejandro Abad, one of the volunteers who joined in the relief drive, said people of Kabankalan underestimated the power of Odette whose strength destroyed most of their homes and livelihood.
“Typhoon Odette left severe damage in Kabankalan, Negros Occidental, so they immediately delivered food packs and drinking water from the Tulong Manileno relief operations and other volunteers,” Abad said.
Relief operations were also undertaken in Negros Oriental by Team Isko Moreno volunteers. Food packs and bottled water were distributed to residents in Barangay Cambagahan in Bais City.
Operation Tabang Team led by Dale Evangelista also conducted relief operations in Agusan del Norte and Surigao del Norte with thousands of food packs given to residents who were severely affected by Typhoon Odette.
In Agusan del Norte, hundreds of food packs were distributed to residents in Barangays Pianing, Anticala and Tagmamarkay.
Manila’s relief operation teams also visited evacuation sites in Surigao del Norte specifically those located in Surigao City, the Municipality of Sison and the island barangay Socorro. The relief operations in the Caraga Region were coordinated by Val Lozada.
A Philippine Navy ship arrived in Surigao del Norte to bring goods and other items consisting of 200 Temporary Shelter Partition Tents, more than 2,000 bottles of 350 ML bottled water, almost a hundred bottles of 6-liter water in containers and 12 cases of Vitamin C supplement.
Bottled water is expected to help address the issue of diarrhea affecting many residents in the province due to the lack of potable water.
In Surigao City, food packs were given to 72 families temporarily staying in Canlanipa Elementary School; 40 families in Mormons Narciso Street; 135 families at the Pilot Elementary School; 250 families in Gawad Kalinga in Barangay Luna; 148 families in CV Diez Elementary School; 256 families in Surigao City National High School and 80 families currently housed at the LTPC/Training Center also in Barangay Luna.
Thousands of food packs were also distributed by Manila’s relief operation team to affected residents in Socorro Island and Sison town.
Typhoon Odette smashed into the country last December 16 as a super typhoon packing wind speeds of 195 kilometers per hour. It made 9 landfalls – Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte; Cagdianao, Dinagat Islands; Liloan, Southern Leyte; Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte; President Carlos P. Garcia, Bohol; Bien Unido, Bohol; Carcar, Cebu; La Libertad, Negros Oriental; and Roxas, Palawan – before exiting the country on Dec. 17.
