ILOILO City – “We are here for our miting de avance,” Cong. Jerry Treñas announced in Hiligaynon. “Your presence here is already an indicator of advance victory for us.”
Treñas, Team Uswag’s candidate for mayor, was addressing an estimated crowd of 30,000 who jampacked Jaro Plaza on Tuesday evening to hear him and his co-candidates Julienne “Jam-jam” Baronda for congresswoman, Jeffrey Ganzon for vice mayor and their 12-man line-up for the Sangguniang Panlungsod. It was the biggest crowd in a political rally in Iloilo City for the May 13, 2019 elections.
The crowd – some of them yelling and singing the jingle “Uswag Iloilo” – was a mixture of students, professionals, businessmen, political leaders, Blue Angels, Blue Warriors, barangay officials, watchers, volunteers, youth leaders, friends, relatives, laborers, farmers and even the terminated city hall job hires.
Treñas thanked his audience for the results of eight surveys by Random Access Consultants, Inc. (RACI) that have consistently showed his Team Uswag leading. In the eighth and last RACI survey commissioned by DyFM Bombo Radyo on April 27 to 28, 2019, Treñas ranked first with 62.7 percent.
Trailing way behind on second place was the incumbent mayor, Jose Espinosa III, with 27.2 percent; followed by Dr. Pacita Gonzalez with seven percent.
For vice mayor, Treñas’ running mate under Team Uswag, incumbent Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon, remained the front runner with 54.5 percent of the surveyed respondents; followed by Councilor Plaridel Nava with 29.7 percent and Councilor R Leone Gerochi with 13.5 percent.
In the congressional race, it’s also Team Uswag’s Julienne “Jam-jam” Baronda leading with 59.3 percent; followed by Joshua Alim, 32 percent; and Perla Zulueta, seven percent.
As in earlier rallies in other city plazas, Treñas asked his Jaro Plaza audience for a new mayoral mandate (he was mayor from 2001 to 2010) to abort the tendency of the present leadership to abuse power, as in terminating some job-hires and replacing them with his own personal appointees who exceed beyond the allowable number.
He swiped at “Calamity Joe” for ordering his allies at the Sangguniang Panlungsod to orchestrate a water crisis and to file a resolution aimed at releasing millions of pesos allegedly for the purchase of water for the waterless.
“He likes to claim projects that he has nothing to do with,” Treñas said, “such as the Esplanade, which is a project of Sen. Franklin Drilon.”
Treñas also alluded to “desperate moves” by his opponent to strengthen his political organization.
“He now has two candidates for congressmen,” Treñas revealed for the first time, “and two candidates for vice mayor.”
Espinosa’s running mate for vice mayor is R Leone Gerochi; and for congresswoman, Perla Zulueta. The mayor, however, is also often seen with the duo’s opponents Plaridel Nava and Joshua Alim, respectively, who used to make up two of the “AlGoNa” trio, with Dr. Pacita Gonzalez for mayor.
With no official statement coming from any of them, the public remains ignorant of whether Gonzalez has withdrawn her candidacy because of whatever differences have transpired between their organization, which also includes candidates for councilors.
The outgoing congressman made mention of his team mate Julienne “Jam-jam” Baronda as a “worthy successor” because of her past experience as city councilor, and more so as political officer of Sen. JV Ejercito.
He called his vice mayoral running mate Jeffrey Ganzon “wala kontra” to dramatize the latter’s extreme popularity in comparison with the other aspirants.
As congressman since 2010, Treñas has made a big success of his “Uswag” scholarship program that has produced more than 20,000 college scholars (most of them now graduates) in the city.
“There will be no end to that scholarship program,” the outgoing congressman said. “As your next mayor, I will go on with it in cooperation with your next representative, Jam-jam Baronda.”
He cited Baronda as the most capable congressional aspirant because of her connections with many senators, congressmen and heads of government agencies.
Pointing at his wife Rosalie seated with the “councilorables” on stage, Treñas stressed the need to “level up” because Iloilo now has sufficient infrastructure for fast economic development.
“Because of our Iloilo Convention Center,” he stressed, “we have seen important men and women from different sectors come here for conventions and seminars. Taxi and jeepney operators and drivers would benefit. Imagine having just one convention per week. The hotels, restaurants, malls and tourist resorts would enjoy brisk business. There would be more vacancies for employment of our people right here in our place.”
Massive economic development, he reminded his audience, is evident in the influx of new residents in subdivisions and daily appearance of new motor vehicles on the widened roads.
“We have to develop the economy,” Treñas challenged “and let the profits trickle down to you who are in the labor force. By the year 2028, Iloilo City would have inevitably gained national recognition as one of the three best highly-urbanized cities in the country in terms of livability, competitiveness, viability and good governance.”
He added that, for the city to prosper, “We have to keep the people healthy and well-equipped to earn a living. We have to build a hospital for the poor, upgrade our public markets to level up with the malls, complete drainage projects, build high-rise condominiums as relocation sites and build senior-citizen and youth centers.”
The excited crowd yelled “Uswag Iloilo!” between speeches of the team’s candidates for councilors, namely Jay Treñas, Lady Julie Grace Baronda, Ely Estante, Armand Parcon, Madonna Martin, Reyland Hervias, Jojo Javellana, Rodulph Jeffrey Ganzon, Gilbert Garcia, Allan Zaldivar, Romel Duron, and Brian Zulueta.
As in previous caucuses and district rallies, the congressman reiterated the need for him to return to city hall to lead the people on “WHEELS” negotiating the “roadmap” he had prepared.
“W” in “WHEELS” would stress public welfare, safety, emergency response, effective drainage system, housing projects for the poor and traffic management.
“H” for “Health and Sanitation” is aimed at improving access to medical and dental services, properly maintained city toilets, potable water and sustained feeding program especially for children.
“E” is for education that would enhance assistance to public schools and day-care centers, upgrade the Iloilo City Community College (ICCC) and Technical Institute of Iloilo City (TIIC) and provide continuing education.
The other “E” for “Environmental management” would rationalize the Esplanade operation, improvement of all plazas and coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Department of Health (DOH).
“L” for “livelihood” means finding ways and means to provide employment and livelihood opportunities for the poor; and would find ways and means to intensify tourism and investment promotions; promote Iloilo City as meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions (MICE) capital; intensify programs for employment, entrepreneurship and livelihood trainings; and modernize slaughter house and public markets.
“S” is for “Sustainability” or continuous delivery of all government programs, projects, activities and services./PN
