Five senatorial contenders of Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas joined Governor Gwendolyn Garcia’s “suroy-suroy” caravan, courting the 3.4 million registered voters in the nation’s most vote-rich province.
Senators Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, Manny Pacquiao, Pia Cayetano, and Deputy Speaker Camille Villar toured more than a dozen cities and towns under Garcia’s One Cebu Party, reflecting Alyansa’s commitment to community-based leadership and intensified efforts to bolster its Visayas support ahead of the May midterm elections.
Cayetano, renowned for her advocacy on women’s rights, cited her legislative record that includes the Magna Carta of Women, Expanded Breastfeeding Act, and the Reproductive Health Law.
She also helped pass measures such as the Food and Drugs Administration Law, Sin Tax Reform Law, and the Universal Cheaper Medicine Act, and authored legislation mandating Hepatitis B vaccination for newborns.
Sotto, who has principally authored 259 laws, highlighted legislation he championed for local development, including the establishment of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and funding for calamity relief.
He renewed calls to institutionalize a 14th month pay and to criminalize fake news, saying, “If we institutionalize the 14th month pay, it can be given during June when parents pay tuition. But I can’t do this alone. That’s why I ask for the support of Cebu—Ako Bisaya.”
Lacson, praising Governor Garcia’s leadership, cited Cebu’s 2023 gross domestic product of 411 billion pesos, up six percent from the previous year. The former senator promised to enhance the Department of Tourism’s budget if reelected, noting, “Cebu deserves continued support for tourism and development.”
Pacquiao, a former senator and world boxing champion, underscored his anti-poverty and anti-corruption platform, while Villar pledged to further her family’s legacy of aiding overseas Filipino workers, boosting jobs, and providing affordable housing.
This marks the second time Alyansa candidates have joined Garcia’s “suroy-suroy,” an event combining heritage tours with grassroots consultations.
Other members of the Alyansa slate include former Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, Makati City Mayor Abby Binay, Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Senator Lito Lapid, Senate Majority Leader Francis “Tol” Tolentino, and ACT-CIS Representative and former DSWD Secretary Erwin Tulfo.
Cebu Lifestyle Channel