BM Pogi leads big in UPang mock election for governor
THE gubernatorial race in Pangasinan appears headed for a landslide victory for Amado “Pogi” Espino III.
In a mock election held at the University of Pangasinan (UPang) a week before the start of the official campaign period for candidates seeking local elective positions last Saturday, “Pogi” Espino, president of the Liga ng mga Barangays, reaped 73 percent of the 1,463 votes cast by participating students and faculty members of the province’s first and biggest tertiary level educational institution over his closest rival, former 5th District Congressman Mark Cojuangco.
Apparently, the young Espino who sits in the provincial board representing the barangays, won the lopsided choice owing much to his being a true-blue Pangasinense.
The mock polls result of the UPang exercise is indicative of how majority of Pangasinenses will vote in the gubernatorial contest on May 9, said an academe-based political analyst who had earlier shared his views on the conduct of the upcoming elections nationwide with members of the national and international media networks.
“Pangasinenses, like the genuine Ilocanos of Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, are clannish in nature in that they will cast their votes in favor of one identified with them, one who talks in the local dialect,” a professor of the University of the Philippines, pointed out.
The young Espino was raised in the rustic neighborhood in his parents’ hometown of Bautista, Pangasinan, an agricultural community of mixed Pangasinenses-Ilocanos and studied in Baguio City where he finished a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurial management.
On the other hand, Cojuangco, eldest son of corporate tycoon, former ambassador Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco, grew up with the elitist society of New Manila. It was not known what and where he pursued an academic course.
The UP-based political analyst observed that the favors for the young Espino were drawn much from the achievements his father, the incumbent governor, made over the past 8 years.
The achievement record, obtained from the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), showed that Pangasinan regained its title as “foodbasket of Northern Luzon,” bagging the hall of fame award from the Department of Agriculture as “top rice producer” and two-time champion as “top corn proudcer in the country.
Pangasinan under Espino’s stewardship, also was recognized as a “model in health care program” with its hospital services earning ISO-certified accreditation that meets international standards.
Corollary to these gains, the province won back-to-back honors in good governance, specifically on the national government’s policy on transparency and accountability, and recognized as top performer in environmental protection, economic entrepreneurship for small and medium-scale ventures, apart from tourism and sports development initiatives.
Earlier, in a survey conducted by a media-based group in January 24-27, Pogi romped off with 68 percent of some 2,578 respondents in central and eastern Pangasinan. In that survey, the young Espino was even favored over his closest rival in Urdaneta City and Sison, known bailiwick of the former solon.
In yet another earlier survey commissioned by the political camp of presidential candidate Jejomar Binay during the last week of November, last year, Cojuangco trailed by 6 out of 10 respondents, mostly in the province’s first and second congressional districts. (Advertisement by Espino for Governor Campaign)
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