CALAMBA, Laguna – Since last Friday thousands of delegates await Teddy Casiño’s arrival in Southern Tagalog as they proclaim Casiño a “Son of Southern Tagalog”. Casiño, congressman of Bayan Muna partylist, now runs for senator and literally runs for the people. As early as 7:30 in the morning, Casiño started to run from Rizal’s house up to Calamba’s marketplace commonly known as “Trade”.
“Dr. Jose P. Rizal once said, ‘the youth are the hope of the nation’ and Teddy Casiño proves that today by starting his race to senator from Rizal’s house as an act of materialization of Rizal’s words,” Bani Cambronero, spokesperson of Makabayang Koalisyon ng mga Mamamayan-Southern Tagalog (Makabayan-ST) said.
All the way from Rizal’s house, Casiño runs along with his supporters and arrives at Trade, where his arrival at the area means his fight for the people. “The marketplace is a symbolical place for Casiño; this is his fight for affordable prices.” Cambronero explained. After the marketplace, Casiño marches off to Calamba Terminal. “On the otherhand, terminals are his next stop to continue his fight against oil price hikes,” Cambronero added.
At 9 in the morning, Casiño starts his caravan to Cabuyao to meet and greet the common people and even joins them for lunch during lunch time at Banga, Calamba, Laguna.
Meanwhile, people from Southern Tagalog anticipate his arrival from Crossing, Calamba. At 1 in the afternoon, his friends and supporters start a proclamation program at Crossing, Calamba. “Casiño was raised under the cradle of Southern Tagalog; he lived in Quezon and studied at University of the Philippines Los Baños,” Cambronero narrated. “As a child raised in Southern Tagalog, who could better know and act for the issues of the people of Southern Tagalog?”
Casiño arrived at the Proclamation Rally at 2 in the afternoon, where the venue is full of streamers, tarpaulin and banners that show their support to Casiño. Dance and song numbers were performed, and at his arrival, he destroyed a wall-like paper backdrop of the stage of the “old politics” of the country as his entrance.
Then, at 2:30 in the afternoon, Casiño starts his caravan towards the municipalities of Calauan, Bay and Los Baños. He then had attended the UPLB February Fair at his alma mater at 6 in the afternoon, where, Makabayan-ST had a program at the said event.
“This fight is not only for Teddy Casiño; this is a fight for all common people so their voices will be reached in the senate.” Cambronero concluded.