The Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) and local leaders of Region 8 on Friday launched the “Sara para sa Barangay” initiative in the Visayas, to make the BBM-Sara UniTeam’s advocacy for the development of barangays around the country be strongly felt by the Filipino people, especially the masses.
Lakas-CMD President Martin G. Romualdez, Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, Zamboanga City Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe, Tingog nominee Jude Acidre, and other community leaders made this assurance.
They said Lakas-CMD vice presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and her running mate, Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) presidential aspirant Ferdinand Marcos Jr., would establish a powerful connection with communities from different barangays in Eastern Visayas and the entire country to help address their concerns with dispatch.
Under the BBM-Sara UniTeam, House Majority Leader and Leyte 1st District Rep. Romualdez declared that not a single barangay should be left out in the country’s development and that services should be made readily available to every villager.
Meanwhile, for Duterte, the Mahalin Natin ang Pilipinas Ride (MNPR) has also become a journey to her roots.
Since MNPR kicked off on February 1, the caravan has already passed by the provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao de Oro, Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Southern Leyte, Leyte, and Eastern Samar.
The ride, which will last for 28 days, Duterte said is her way to inform the people about her advocacy for patriotism.
“Mayor Duterte’s master plan makes no distinction of any barangay. She believes that progress and development must be encompassing and make every village an integral part of the country in pursuing development,” said Romualdez.
Around 700 community leaders from Region 8 were present during the launching of “Sara para sa Barangay” movement held at the Pacific Point Resort here.
Mayor Romualdez assured the community leaders that Marcos and Duterte will champion people’s interest in the grassroots level, being a former governor and an incumbent mayor, respectively.
For his part, Dalipe, Lakas-CMD vice president, said Duterte, in partnership with Marcos will push for an improved delivery of basic services, including better healthcare system and high quality of education.
Dalipe said Duterte is tough on her stance that there should be equity in the socio, economic, cultural and political development of barangays in the country while pushing for more efficient services in the grassroots level.
“The Sara Para sa Barangay movement will help bring Duterte’s governance thrusts to the grassroots level. The barangay-level initiative is aligned with President Duterte’s malasakit program,” Dalipe said.
Majority Leader Romualdez also said the Sara para sa Barangay initiative sought to empower the country’s 42,046 barangays through its various programs on education, health, job creation and livelihood.
“On her health program amid the pandemic, Mayor Duterte seeks to make sure that health stations are present and their services are available in every barangay,” Romualdez said.
UniTeam senatorial aspirants Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and Herbert Bautista physically attended the event and vowed to work on the basic needs of communities in the country as being advocated by Duterte and Marcos should they win in the May presidential polls.
Marcos and Harry Roque, another UniTeam senatorial aspirant, greeted the community leaders through their recorded video message.
Last January 31, Vice-Governor Maricar Zamora, Rep. Manuel Zamora, Davao de Oro Gov. Jayvee Tyron Uy, mayors, board members, councilors and other community leaders launched the Sara para sa Barangay in Mindanao.
This introduced the concept where the vice-presidential candidate will champion the interest of the people in the barangay level, especially on education, health, jobs and livelihood.
The Davao de Oro officials said the program will bring closer to the grassroots level Duterte’s programs of government that will also further solidify the hold of Marcos in the presidential race.
Duterte said one of her most unforgettable experiences was meeting distant relatives and knowing stories of her family’s ancestry.
“Ang happy memories ko naman is nakilala ko ‘yung paternal grandmother ko dahil doon pala sa route is madadaanan namin kung saan sila nakatira ni Pangulong Duterte noon sa Cabadbaran, Agusan,” she said.
In Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte on Wednesday, teachers of Cabadbaran South Central Elementary School (CASOCES) showed Sara a jar displayed in the school museum.
The small jar was owned by Fortunata Roa, Sara’s great grandmother. She was the mother of Soledad, President Rodrigo Duterte’s mother.
Ricky Legaria, who is in-charge of the museum, said the jar was donated by the Roldan family, who got it from Fortunata.
Legaria narrated that the decorative piece was one of two jars that the Roas left to the Roldan family as they left Cabadbaran for Leyte in the 1940s.
Marilou Asotigue, the school principal, shared that Soledad Roa taught and was an adviser for Batch 41 of CASOCES when it was still named Cabadbaran Pilot Elementary School (CAPES).
In Liloan, Southern Leyte on Thursday, Sara said she learned that her great grandfather, Lino, was a mayor of the said town.
Sara said she also met with members of the Roa clan in Leyte.
The nationwide caravan is now on its fourth day.
