President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday called on Northern Luzon lawmakers to further strengthen the “Solid North” regional bloc and maintain the strong unity of its members.
The President made the pitch during the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected officials of the Northern Luzon Alliance (NLA) held in Malacañang where he recalled the difficult times when the group was considered politically irrelevant.
“Those times that we went through that, the Ilocano bloc remained solid. And the result is that we are now here celebrating the taking the oath of new officers of the Northern Alliance here in the Palace,” President Marcos said.
“And that has kept us afloat through all the lean years kung tawagin, through all the lean years. And as I said, now the solidarity and the strength of the Ilocano bloc has remained and it has served us well. So let us keep it going. And now instead only fighting up, may katulong na kayo dito sa taas,” he added.
The President emphasized the solidarity of the alliance that was evident even during the time of his father, the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., widely considered the patriarch of Ilocanos and the region’s politicians.
And even after the Marcoses fell out of favor politically for some time with the subsequent administrations that followed, the alliance has maintained its unity and staying power, he said.
“So let us take that as our lesson that really what has kept us going, what has kept us strong, and what has kept us relevant in national politics,” the President said.
President Marcos also echoed observations that Ilocanos are over represented in government and in politics.
“And there is maybe a point to that, but the reason that is –because we help each other because we stay solid. And we – we acknowledge [that] these are Ilocanos that have been working with us that we know are good workers that will bring value to government service,” he said.
The NLA is a group of congressmen mostly belonging to the tobacco-producing provinces. Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos III serves as the NLA’s honorary chairman.
The alliances’ officers include Ilocos Norte 2nd District Rep. Angelo Marcos Beard, NLA President; Mountain Province Rep. Maximo Y. Dalog Jr., NLA Executive Vice President; Pangasinan 1st District Rep. Arthur F. Celeste, NLA Vice President – Region 1; Isabela 1st District Rep. Antonio T. Albano, NLA Vice President – Region 2; CAR and Kalinga Rep. Allen Jesse C. Mangaoang, Vice President of the NLA.
Other officials include ABONO Party List Rep. Robert Raymund M. Star, NLA Vice President; The Union 1st District Rep. Francis Paolo P. Ortega V, NLA Secretary; 2nd District Rep. Kristine Singson-Meehan, NLA Treasurer; and Isabela 4th District Rep. Joseph S. Tan, NLA Auditor.