ILOILO City – “Uswag! Gugma! Arriba!”
These were the three words that permeated the streets here yesterday as people greeted “Team Uswag” consisting of the National Unity Party (NUP) candidates in Iloilo City – Cong. Jerry Treñas for mayor, Julienne “Jam-jam” Baronda for congresswoman and re-electionist Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon and their “councilorables” – in a kick-off “Uswag Caravan” that rolled around major thoroughfares.
The caravan began at 8 a.m. with a solemn mass at the Sta. Maria Church, where they sought God’s benediction in the duration of the campaign period for the May 13 mid-term elections.
Treñas and his wife Rosalie led some 700 individuals who jampacked the church during the mass. Hundreds more arrived in time for the departure of the caravan at 9 a.m.
Treñas, Baronda, Ganzon and their 12 candidates for the Sangguniang Panlungsod led the long caravan consisting of some 300 cars, roofed pick-ups, vans, trucks, motorcycles and bicycles that cruised the streets, greeting and waving at residents and passersby along the route that meandered through the City Proper, Lapuz, Jaro, and Mandurriao.
The 12 “Team Uswag” candidates for the Sangguniang Panlungsod include Jay Treñas, Lady Julie Grace Baronda, Ely Estante, Armand Parcon, Reyland Hervias, Jojo Javellana, Rodulph Jeffrey Ganzon, Gilbert Garcia, Allan Zaldivar, Rommel Duron, Brian Zulueta, and Madonna Martin.
“Uswag! Gugma! Arriba!”
The shouts from caravan participants – namely market vendors, ex-city hall job hires, market officers, urban poor, Uswag scholars, barangay leaders, volunteers, political leaders, supporters, sectoral representatives, and the candidates’ friends – reverberated louder, compelling the street watchers to shout the same “mantra”.
“Uswag,” the Ilonggo equivalent of “progress”, summarizes the rapid growth of Iloilo City during the incumbency of Treñas as mayor for nine years and congressman for another nine years.
“Gugma” stands for the “love” that House aspirant Baronda feels for the Ilonggos, whom she had served in the recent past as councilor.
“Arriba” was the famous battle cry of the late senator Rodolfo Ganzon and adopted by his son, the re-electionist Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon. It is a Spanish word for “up” and “above”.
Impressed by the mammoth crowd that welcomed the grand caravan, the congressman interpreted it as an indication and proof that, as shown by the Random Access Consultants Inc. (RACI) surveys, he’s the frontrunner with 64.5 percent, besting six other mayoral candidates.
Congressman Treñas briefly explained why he had to run for mayor again: “As a servant leader and a son of God, every time I make a decision concerning the community, I always seek guidance from Him. With enough wisdom that he bestows upon me, I am always able to make the goodness of the people a priority.
“As a visionary, I always want to give the best to Iloilo City and its people. With my desire for a holistic development through public governance, I came up with projects anchored on education, health and wellness, infrastructure, and even programs that give attention to senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
“In the coming years, I plan to help more students through my scholarship program, and rehabilitate more roads, drainage systems, and public facilities for the convenience of the people.
“We can only become a better Iloilo City if we work together since I know that we share the same goal.”
Treñas also revealed that insistent public demand had influenced him to run for mayor once again.
“I feel bad,” he said, “whenever I hear that efficient job hires were laid-off because of their support for me. Our once beautiful plants all over the city are now dying because the beautification employees were laid-off. Iloilo now is slowly going back to what it used to be. Heavy traffic is everywhere because a good number of experienced traffic aides were also laid-off. The children in the barangays cannot attend daycare classes because their teachers were laid-off. The list can go on and on.
“Society needs to be reminded that we have to fight for our people. And that they should not be forced to suffer afflictions. We have to encourage all people to be united since it is through unity that we can have growth opportunity for our beloved Iloilo City.”/PN
