Ilocos Region all out for VP bid of Sen. Marcos

After getting the blessing and support of the whole of Ilocos Norte, vice presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. got the full support of the people of Ilocos Sur.

This after Ilocos Sur leaders late Tuesday threw their full support for Marcos' vice presidential bid as he swiftly moved to consolidate the vaunted "Solid North" immediately after the formal launch of his campaign in his home province of Ilocos Norte.

Led by Ilocos Sur Governor Ryan Singson and his father, former governor Luis "Chavit" Singson, business groups, people's organizations, professionals, and other civic groups from the province and adjacent areas came in force to welcome Marcos at the Plaza Maestro Convention Center in Vigan City.

"His running for the vice presidency provides us new hope for the Ilocandia. Drawing inspiration from the past, I am confident that he would bring us further into a better future. Let us turn this into reality," said Gov. Singson.

"Let us prove once more that we have a strong camaraderie by supporting our fellow Ilocano, Senator Bongbong Marcos, and that the Solid North will always remain a solid force in the country," he added.

Former governor "Chavit" Singson said it's about time another Ilocano is elected as one of the country's top leaders. He noted that in the past few decades the country has seen various changes in administration but none in the crop of past leaders were from the North.

For his part, Sen. Marcos thanked the Singsons and the people of the province for showing that the Solid North remains a force to reckon with, saying it is the lynchpin from where he could deliver his message of national unity as key to a more progressive future for the country.

Marcos reiterated his conviction that many of the ills that continue to plague the country can be traced to politics of disunity that recent administrations had adopted. "Pero may mga lugar pa rin na tuloy ang pagkakaisa, at maipagmamalaki natin yan ay dito sa Norte kaya't totoong-totoo ang tinatawag nating Solid North. Kaya't dito natin simulan ang kilusan para ipagsama at ipagkaisa ulit ang sambayanang Pilipino," said Marcos.

He said achieving national unity is the key towards a brighter future for the country.

"This is the challenge of the future to us who claim to be the leaders of the country. This is the challenge not only of the future, this is the challenge of our children for us to leave them a better place, for us to show them the way, or us to provide the leadership, to provide the vision so that we know which way we are going and that we are going that way together," he stressed.

Meanwhile, Marcos also paid a brief visit to barangay leaders of the 6th district of Manila in their Lakbay Aral seminar at the Vigan Convention Center.

Marcos, chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government, reported to the barangay leaders his efforts in the legislature to promote the cause of local government units in the country, including the Barangay Retirement Benefits Bill recently approved by Congress.

Marcos said the government should always listen to the concerns of barangay leaders and local government units as he underlined their indispensable role in the delivery of basic services to the people.

"That is why it is important that in the coming elections you should choose leaders who really understand the concerns of LGUs," said Marcos.